Raebareli lynching case: Rahul Gandhi meets victim's family, says Dalit oppression is at peak under BJP govt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the brutal murder of Dalit villager Hariom Valmiki in Raebareli has shaken the conscience of the entire nation and accused the administration of trying to intimidate the victims family reported news agency PTIGandhi who met with the family of the deceased in Fatehpur district also charged that authorities tried to stop the family of Valmiki from meeting himIn a post on X in Hindi Rahul Gandhi said The brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki has shaken the conscience of the entire nation There was a question in his familys eyes along with pain Is being a Dalit still a deadly crime in this country hellip pictwittercom6a8mglGb8Mmdash Rahul Gandhi RahulGandhi October 17 2025The administration in Uttar Pradesh is busy intimidating the victims family They even tried to prevent the family from meeting me This is the same failure of the system which every time shields the perpetrators and puts the victim in the dock Gandhi chargedMaintaining that justice cannot be put under house arrest the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the BJP government must end the pressure on the victims family and ensure the harshest punishment for the culpritsI stand firmly with Hariom Valmikis family 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 to injustice he said on XGandhi spent about 25 minutes with the family during which he spoke with Harioms father Gangadeen brother Shivam and sister Kusum and offered condolencesLater speaking to reporters Gandhi charged that Dalit oppression is at its peak under this governmentHe also cited the latest National Crime Record Bureau NCRB figures which show that Uttar Pradesh leads the country in cases of Dalit persecutionSharing details of the meeting the Congress in a post on X in Hindi said Leader of the Opposition ShriRahulGandhi met with the family of Shri Hariom Valmiki in Fatehpur and shared their grief A few days ago Hariom a Dalit was brutally beaten to death His family is in immense pain and is waiting for justiceWhat happened to Hariom Valmiki is a grave offence against the Constitution of this country Such a shallow ideology is a blot on society We will continue to fight against this injustice and oppression This country will be governed by Baba Sahebs Constitution not by Manuvaad the party saidThe Congress also posted photographs of the meetingIn a post on X in Hindi the Uttar Pradesh Congress said Rahul Gandhi the name of hope and support ummeed aur bharose kaa naam Rahul Gandhi pictwittercom1SSJmJ3kUdmdash UP Congress INCUttarPradesh October 17 2025Hours ahead of the Leader of Oppositions visit the victims brother Shivam Valmiki allegedly released a video in with the family purportedly stated that Gandhi should not use the visit for political purposesWe are satisfied with the government and do not need politics here Shivam was seen saying in a videoThe Congress party claimed that the video was an attempt by the BJP to create pressure and manipulate the situationTight security arrangements were in place ahead for his visit with the lane leading to Valmikis house barricaded reported PTIValmiki 40 was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil at about 1 am on October 2 amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies reported PTIThe lynching incident had sparked widespread outrage with opposition parties including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party accusing the BJP government of failing to protect Dalits and curb mob violence reported PTIFollowing the attack police registered a case and have so far arrested 14 people including the main accused who was held after an encounter on October 10 Five policemen including two subinspectors were suspended for alleged lapses in handling the caseThe Congress leader landed at Chakeri airport and travelled about 80 km by road to Fatehpur where he met the family members of the deceasedAhead of his visit the government issued an offer letter to Harioms sister Kusum for a contractual post as a staff nurse at the Fatehpur Medical CollegeValmikis wife Sangeeta Valmiki along with her family members had met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on October 11 reported PTIDuring the meeting Adityanath had assured the family of justice and government support including housing under the CMs Housing Scheme a permanent job for Sangeeta Valmiki and coverage under welfare schemesAdityanath had said the accused were arrested within 24 hours and that ensuring the safety and dignity of Dalits and deprived sections remained the governments top priorityWith inputs from PTI