Dalit man lynched as ‘drone chor’ in Raebareli; Congress seeks Yogi’s resignation, SIT probe

The opposition party also demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim's family and a government job for one of its members. Photo: .(X/ Shama Mohamed)

In the wake of the alleged lynching of a Dalit man in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, the Congress on Monday said the incident showed that law and order in the state had “completely collapsed,” demanding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s resignation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, and Rs 1 crore compensation along with a government job for the victim’s family, news agency PTI reported.

Police have arrested five men for allegedly lynching the victim, Hariom, after mistaking him for a thief. According to officials, Hariom, reportedly mentally unstable, was walking to his in-laws’ home in Dandepur Jamunapur when a mob accused him of being part of a gang marking houses for theft using drones. He was beaten with sticks and belts and succumbed to his injuries soon after.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said, “UP, under CM Yogi Adityanath, has turned into hell for Dalits, minorities, and backward communities. Why is the UP CM silent when monsters are lynching Hariom, a Dalit man, to death and proudly claiming they are ‘Baba wale log’, almost as if such caste atrocities have his blessings?”

Venugopal added that in his dying moments, Hariom was heard taking Rahul Gandhi’s name, describing the Congress leader as “the one true ray of hope for those facing social injustice.” He alleged that law and order in the state had “totally collapsed” and accused the BJP-RSS regime of giving a “free hand” to those targeting Dalits and marginalised communities.

Congress’s Scheduled Castes (SC) Department chief Rajendra Pal Gautam said incidents of atrocities against Dalits had risen sharply in Uttar Pradesh over the past decade. Citing NCRB data, he said that 15,130 cases of crimes against Dalits were reported from the state in 2023 — the highest in the country.

“When the Dalit youth was being beaten up in Raebareli, he was taking the name of Rahul Gandhiji, but the accused were heard mocking him and saying, ‘everyone here is a Baba follower’,” Gautam said at a press conference alongside Congress MP Imran Masood.

He questioned whether the Yogi Adityanath-led government had any faith in the Constitution or the courts, asking, “Has law and order completely failed in Uttar Pradesh? Have these beasts been given an open licence to punish anyone without investigation?”

Gautam said Adityanath should resign, take responsibility for the incident, and ensure that the family receives compensation and justice. “The incident should be investigated by an SIT, and the guilty must be punished strictly,” he said.

Masood alleged that crimes against women and Dalits were at their peak in the state, claiming that the BJP government had “failed in establishing the rule of law.” He added that despite the Supreme Court’s directions, “bulldozers are still being operated.”

AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents Raebareli in Parliament, had spoken to the victim’s father and brother and expressed his solidarity. “In his final moments, as he was being mercilessly beaten, the deceased young man remembered his last hope — Shri Rahul Gandhi,” Khera said, describing the incident as “heartbreaking and enraging.”

Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a four-nation tour of South America, has termed the incident deeply wounding and has assured the victim’s family of full support, the Congress said.

*With Agency Inputs