Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi condemn the brutal lynching of a Dalit man in Rae Bareli, calling it a grave crime against the Constitution and society.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi condemn the brutal lynching of a Dalit man in Rae Bareli, calling it a grave crime against the Constitution and society. (Image Credit: Aajtak)
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday dubbed the “brutal and cruel murder of a Dalit man in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli and as a “grave crime” against the country’s Constitution.
In a joint statement, the Congress leaders condemned the brutal attack saying that after 2014 mob lynching, bulldozer injustice and mob justice have become a hallmark of this time.
The Congress leaders stated that in our country there is a constitution that recognizes every human being as equal. "We have laws that guarantee equal protection, rights, and expression for every citizen," they said.
"What happened in Rae Bareli is a grave offense against the Constitution of this country, a crime against the Dalit community, and a stain on this country and society," the Congress leaders said.
They highlighted that the number of crimes against Dalits, minorities, and the poor has risen beyond measure in the country.
"This violence is most prevalent against the marginalized, the Bahujan, who lack adequate participation and representation," they said, citing examplesnof brutalityvand crume against dalits and women in Hathras, Unnao, desth of Rohith Vemula, urinating on a tribal man in Madhya Pradssg ir crimes agaibst dalitsnand tribals in statesmof Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh.
The Congress leader pointed out that every incident is a mirror of the increasing insensitivity of our society, administration and ruling powers.
"Since 2014, trends like mob lynching, bulldozer injustice and mobocracy have become the horrific hallmark of our times," Rahul Ganshi and Kharge said targeting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
They asserted that violence cannot be a sign of any civilized society, "hence what happened to Hariom is a serious question on our collective morality" and added that the India of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's dreams and the India of Mahatma Gandhi's "Vaishnav Jan..." is an India of social justice, equality, and compassion, in which such crimes have no place and humanity is the only way forward.
They said that the Congress is committed to the empowerment of the deprived and weaker sections of the society.
"We urge the citizens to unite against this injustice. This fight must continue until the rights and dignity of life of every Indian are fully protected," both the leaders added.
The remarks from the Congress leaders came after a 38-year-old Dalit man was allegedly lynched by local villagers in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli who suspected him of being a “drone thief” in the wake of rumours across the state that people are using drones to mark the target homes for theft.
The incident took a political turn, with the Congress targeting the BJP government over the incident, calling it a failure of law and order.
Leader of Opposition and Raebareli MP Rahul Gandhi spoke to the family of the victim, Hariom, over the phone, while Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai visited the family.
