Cong, BJP trade barbs as Rahul meets UP lynching victim’s kin

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Uttar Pradesh Government of preventing the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit man who was allegedly beaten to death in Raebareli, from meeting him during his visit to Fatehpur. The family later denied the allegation, saying the state government had been supportive and had not restricted their movement.

Rahul Gandhi, who met members of the victim’s family earlier in the day, alleged state government officials were intimidating them and shielding the accused. “In Uttar Pradesh, the administration is busy intimidating the victim’s family. They even tried to stop the family from meeting me. This is the failure of the system, which every time becomes a shield for the culprits and puts the victim in the dock,” he said in a post on X.

“We talked to Rahul Gandhi and he assured us of all possible help. We told him that the government is supporting us and taking the necessary steps. The administration has not stopped us from going out. We did not agree to meet Rahul because we were getting all the help from the government,” Hariom Valmiki’s brother told reporters outside their home.

In a video shared on the official Congress handle, however, another family member described Rahul as a “messiah” and thanked him for visiting them. “Rahul Gandhi came to meet us today. He is our messiah and we want him to deliver justice for us,” he said.

Hariom Valmiki was allegedly beaten to death by a group of men who “mistook him for a thief,” according to the police. The incident has triggered political outrage, with both the Congress and the ruling BJP accusing each other of exploiting the tragedy for political mileage.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hit back at Rahul, accusing him of being insensible. In a post on X, he wrote, “Rahul’s arrogance and insensitivity have once again come to light. He has turned the grief of the victim’s family into a stage for politics and photo-ops. The people of this country will not forgive such behaviour. The government stands with the victims and the culprits will not be spared.”

Meanwhile, in a separate visit earlier in the day, Rahul reached Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati to pay tributes to late singer Zubeen Garg. Calling for a “transparent investigation” into Garg’s death in Singapore, Rahul said, “It is the duty of the government to quickly and transparently investigate what has happened and tell the family exactly what transpired in Singapore.”