'Raebareli lynching a stain on nation': Congress questions 'collective morality'

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) The Congress on Tuesday strongly condemned the "brutal lynching" of a Dalit youth in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, calling it a "stain" on the nation and a "profound question mark on the collective morality" of Indian society.

The victim, identified as Hariom, was allegedly beaten to death with sticks and belts by a group of locals after being mistaken for a thief. The incident has sparked outrage and political uproar across the state.

Police have so far arrested five people in connection with the case.

In a joint statement shared by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, the party said, "Our country has a Constitution that recognises every individual with a sense of equality. There is a law that grants equal status to the safety, rights, and expression of every citizen. What happened in Raebareli is a grave crime against the Constitution of this country. It is a crime against the Dalit community and a stain on this nation and society."

The party said that the number of crimes against Dalits, minorities, and the poor has "increased beyond limits", adding that "this violence disproportionately affects those who are deprived, marginalised, and lack adequate representation or participation".

Recalling past incidents, the Congress stated, "Be it the crimes against women in Hathras and Unnao, the murder of Hariom in Raebareli, or earlier, the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula, the inhuman incident of a leader urinating on a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh, the brutal beating of Dalits in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, or the murders of Pehlu Khan in Haryana and Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh -- every incident is a mirror reflecting the growing insensitivity of our society, administration, and ruling powers."

The statement further said that since 2014, cases of mob lynching, bulldozer injustice, and mob rule "have become the terrifying hallmarks of our times".

"Violence cannot be a hallmark of any civilised society, and what happened to Hariom is a profound question mark on our collective morality," it added.

Emphasising the values of justice and equality, the Congress said, "The India of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar's dreams and Mahatma Gandhi's 'Vaishnav Jan...' is an India of social justice, equality, and compassion, where there is no place for such crimes. Humanity is the only path forward."

The party reaffirmed its commitment to the empowerment of the deprived and weaker sections of society, urging citizens to unite against the growing injustices.

"We call upon citizens to unite against this injustice. This fight must continue until the rights and dignity of every Indian's life are fully protected," the statement concluded.

--IANS

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