Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his visit to the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit lynched in Raebareli earlier this month. Maurya accused him of engaging in “political drama” instead of showing genuine concern for the victims.
In a post on ‘X’, Maurya wrote in Hindi, “Shri Rahul Gandhi ji, you should be ashamed. This is nothing but your photo-op programme. ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Samman, aur Suraksha’ are our government’s top priorities. Several people involved in the case have already been arrested.”
The deputy chief minister further said that Gandhi had “nothing to do with the victim’s pain” and urged him to stop what he termed as “nautanki.”
“The public knows the reality of the Congress and the Gandhi family, who shed crocodile tears,” Maurya added.
His remarks came hours after Gandhi met Hariom Valmiki’s family in the Fatehpur district, accusing the state administration of intimidating the victims and shielding the culprits. Gandhi had alleged that “Dalit oppression is at its peak” under the BJP government and called for justice for the victim.
The Raebareli lynching, which took place on October 2 after villagers allegedly mistook Hariom Valmiki for a thief, has triggered widespread outrage, with both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party blaming the state government for failing to curb mob violence.
