Dalit youth's killing in Raebareli a 'crime against constitution', says Congress

The Congress on Tuesday strongly condemned the brutal killing of Dalit youth Hariom Valmiki in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, calling it a “heinous and cruel crime” and a “blot on society and the nation”.

In a joint statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Our country has a Constitution that recognises every human being with equality. There is a law that ensures every citizen’s safety, rights and freedom of expression. What happened in Raebareli is a grave crime against that very Constitution, a crime against the Dalit community and a stain on the conscience of our nation.”

The leaders said crimes against Dalits, minorities, and the poor have risen sharply across the country, adding that “violence is most often directed at those who are deprived, marginalised, and under-represented”.

Citing a series of incidents, the statement drew parallels with past atrocities: “Be it crimes against women in Hathras and Unnao, the murder of Hariom in Raebareli, the institutional killing of Rohith Vemula, the inhuman act of a leader urinating on a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh, the brutal beatings of Dalits in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, or the lynchings of Pehlu Khan in Haryana and Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh, each of these reflects the growing insensitivity of society, the administration, and those in power.”

The party said that since 2014, “mob lynching, bulldozer injustice, and the rule of the mob have become terrifying hallmarks of our times.”

“Violence cannot be the symbol of a civilised society,” the leaders said, adding that the murder of Hariom Valmiki “raises deep moral questions for us all”.

Kharge and Gandhi further said, “The India of Dr B R Ambedkar’s dreams and Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Vaishnav Jan’ vision is one of social justice, equality, and compassion, where such crimes have no place. Humanity alone is the way forward.”

Reaffirming its commitment to the empowerment of the marginalised and weaker sections, the Congress urged citizens to unite against injustice.

“This struggle must continue until the rights and dignity of every Indian are fully protected,” they added.