Mobocracy horrifying hallmark of our times: Cong on lynching of Dalit man in Raebareli
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday condemned the killing of a Dalit man in Raebareli as murder of humanity and the Constitution, and said it poses a serious question mark on collective morality as violence cannot be a hallmark of any civilised society.
In a joint statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi alleged that mob lynching, bulldozer injustice, and mobocracy have become a "horrifying hallmark of our times".
A 40-year-old Dalit man identified as Hariom was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies, police said on Monday.
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi said the brutal murder of Hariom is not just the murder of one person but murder of humanity, the Constitution, justice.
"Today in India, Dalits, tribals, Muslims, backward classes, and the poor—everyone whose voice is weak, whose share is being snatched away, and whose life is considered cheap—is being targeted," he said.
"Hate, violence, and mobocracy have the patronage of power in this country—where bulldozers have replaced the Constitution, and fear has replaced justice," he said.
Expressing solidarity with Hariom's family, the former Congress president said "they will surely get justice. India's future rests on equality and humanity, and this country will be governed by the Constitution, not the whims of the mob".
While sharing the joint statement, Kharge said in a post on X, "The Congress Party strongly condemns the brutal and cruel murder of Dalit youth Hariom Valmiki in Rae Bareli".
In their joint statement, the Congress leaders said our country has one Constitution that recognises every human being as equal and there is a law that gives equal status to the security, rights, and expression of every citizen.
"What happened in Rae Bareli is a grave offense against the Constitution of this country. It is a crime against the Dalit community and a stain on this country and society.
"The number of crimes against Dalits, minorities, and the poor in the country has increased beyond limits. This violence is most prevalent against those who are deprived, Bahujan, and those who have neither adequate participation nor representation," they said.
Whether it is crimes against women in Hathras and Unnao, the murder of Hariom in Rae Bareli, or, more recently, the institutionalised murder of Rohit Vemula, the inhumane 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, each incident reflects the growing insensitivity of our society, administration, and ruling powers, they also said.
Alleging that since 2014, trends like mob lynching, bulldozer injustice, and mobocracy have become a horrifying hallmark of our times, Kharge and Gandhi said, "Violence cannot be a hallmark of any civilized society, therefore, what happened to Hariom poses a serious question mark on our collective morality."
The India of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's dreams and the India of Mahatma Gandhi's "Vaishnav Jan" is an India of social justice, equality, and compassion, in which such crimes have no place, they said, adding that humanity is the only way.
"The Congress Party is committed to the empowerment of the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society. We call upon citizens to unite against this injustice. This fight must continue until the rights and dignity of life of every Indian are fully protected," the statement said.
Five people have been arrested in the case and three police personnel have been suspended for alleged negligence, they said, adding the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalits and other backward castes. Police appealed to residents not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Monday visited Hariom's family and claimed that the victim was beaten up when he took Rahul Gandhi's name. He alleged that "jungle raj" was prevailing in the state. Gandhi spoke to the victim's brother on phone and assured him of all support.
On Wednesday night, Hariom was walking to his in-laws' house in the New Basti area of Unchahar town to meet his wife Pinky and his daughter Ananya when some villagers became suspicious of his movement near the Jamunapur crossing and started questioning him, police said.
When he failed to respond to their queries, the villagers brutally thrashed him, suspecting him of being a thief, they said.
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Vijayendra slams Cong govt over alleged medicine shortage, irregularities in health dept
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday hit out at the Congress government over alleged medicine shortages, large-scale irregularities and disruption of services in the health department.
The situation had deteriorated to such an extent that doctors were forced to protest on the streets, he claimed.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the Siddaramaiah-led government lacked the will to resolve pressing public issues and accused it of indulging in "blame politics" instead of governance.
"Due to the irresponsibility of this Congress government, the health department itself is in the ICU. There is a severe shortage of medicines in government hospitals. The 108 ambulance services are facing severe problems. Doctors have been pushed to the streets to protest. The Congress government celebrates 1,000 days in power with achievement conventions, but it has failed to solve real problems," he said.
He criticised the state government for allegedly shutting down Jan Aushadhi centres located on government hospital premises, claiming that needy patients are suffering as they are not getting medicines.
"For the past two months, government doctors themselves have been advising poor patients to buy medicines from private pharmacies because medicines are unavailable in hospitals," he alleged.
Vijayendra further alleged that the state government has reportedly not cleared Rs 143 crore in dues to institutions providing CT scan and MRI services.
"As a result, needy patients in rural and urban areas are unable to access these services. Pregnant women are facing hardships. Doctors are forced to protest on the streets...This government claims to be one that delivers on its promises. But does it have even the slightest concern for how poor people are struggling in the healthcare sector," he alleged.
The BJP state president claimed that the Congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and its deputy D K Shivakumar is not pro-poor; instead, it is a government that supports middlemen.
"Who is responsible for the medicine shortage in government hospitals and medical colleges? The state government and the concerned ministers are responsible. According to information available to me, under pressure from influential individuals, irregularities are taking place in medicine procurement. Instead of purchasing medicines through authorised central and state agencies, the government has moved to fragmented district- and taluk-level tenders," he claimed.
He further alleged that due to commission demands of 15-20 per cent, many companies and public enterprises are not participating in tenders, worsening the system.
Vijayendra claimed that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation's procurement system has been sidelined, leading to an artificial shortage of medicines.
He also alleged that a private individual from Mangaluru is controlling the state's medicine procurement system, supplying medicines to most government hospitals.
"This has led to market prices being inflated. Medicines costing Rs 100 are reportedly being purchased for Rs 300. I will provide more documents and evidence in the coming days," he claimed.
He also alleged that staff associated with the 108 ambulance services have not been paid salaries for the past eight to nine months.
"The government must take responsibility and reform the system instead of protecting middlemen," he added.
