Rahul Gandhi meets lynching victim’s kin in Uttar Pradesh

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday (October 17, 2025) met in Fatehpur the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit man who was lynched earlier this month in Raebareli, and hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government alleging atrocities against Dalits reached zenith in the State.

Wherever there was atrocity against Dalits, the Congress would stand there and fight for justice. He alleged that the family was threatened and forced to say in a video that Mr. Gandhi should not meet the family.

“The brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki ji has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. There was a question in the eyes of this family with pain, is being a Dalit still a deadly crime in this country? The administration in Uttar Pradesh is busy intimidating the victim’s family. They even tried to prevent the family from meeting me. This is a failure of the system which always shields the perpetrators and puts the victim in the dock,” alleged the Congress leader on X.

He added, “I stand firmly with the family of Hariom Valmiki and every exploited, deprived and vulnerable citizen of the country. This fight is not just for Hariom; it is for every voice that refuses to bow down to injustice,”. The Congress leader said, “I appeal to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to conduct an impartial investigation into this incident and give severe punishment to the culprits.”

The Congress leader landed at the Kanpur airport and travelled about 80 km by road to Fatehpur. Mr. Gandhi spent half an hour with the family, during which he spoke with Hariom’s father Gangadeen, brother Shivam, and sister Kusum, expressing grief and promising full support.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai, who was present when Mr. Gandhi met the family, said, “Rahul ji assured the family that the Congress will fight against this injustice and provide all necessary help. Before the visit, the government pressured the family and put them under house arrest; such an action is pure dictatorship,” Mr. Rai said.

Brother releases video

Just before Mr. Gandhi’s arrival, Shivam, Hariom’s brother, released a video claiming, “Two Cabinet Ministers have visited my home. We were given financial support and a government job. I am satisfied with the government. I do not want Rahul Gandhi or any other leader to come to my home for political purposes,”. However, the Congress alleged that the video was part of the ruling dispensation attempt to create pressure and manipulate the situation. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers during the Congress leader’s visit. 

Valmiki was lynched by a mob on October 2 in Raebareli, after he was suspected of theft. In the viral video of the incident, a group of men were seen beating the victim, who could be feebly heard saying some words, including “Rahul Gandhi”. The accused continued to beat him, saying in Hindi that “everyone here is with Baba”. He was beaten with belts and sticks and died soon after. The video led to an uproar after which the Raebareli police suspended three police personnel, including a sub-inspector, and removed the Station House Officer Sanjay Kumar and arrested five persons.