Question of collective morality: Rahul, Kharge issue joint statement on crimes against Dalits

In the wake of rising atrocities against Dalits, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on 6 October, Monday, issued a joint statement calling the killing of a Dalit youth in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli a ‘crime against the Constitution’ and a ‘question on collective morality’.

Rahul Gandhi, in a strongly worded message, said the incident has once again exposed the “moral decay under the BJP’s rule”.

“Violence can never be a sign of a civilised society. What happened with Hariom Paswan raises serious questions about our collective morality,” he said, accusing the ruling regime of normalising hate, mob violence and bulldozer justice.

The accused in the lynching apparently said they were the ‘Baba’s people’.

Gandhi underlined that attacks on the poor, Dalits and minorities have become “a defining trend of the present regime”.

“Mob lynching, mobocracy and bulldozer justice have become the new symbols of power. The weak, the marginalised and the voiceless are being crushed daily — often with the tacit approval of those in power,” he said.

Hariom Paswan, a Dalit youth from Raebareli, was lynched on 3 October after being accused of ‘drone theft’. Videos later surfaced that show him being brutally assaulted. In one clip, Hariom can be heard taking Rahul Gandhi’s name before someone from the mob shouts back, “Everyone here supports Baba.”

Notably, per NCRB data, Uttar Pradesh ranked No. 1 in the country for crimes against Dalits (Scheduled Castes) in 2023, with 15,130 cases registered during the year.

Following public outrage, the Unchahar police station chief and five other officers were suspended for negligence, and 10 people have been arrested so far. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to Hariom’s family on 5 October, Sunday night, assuring them that the “Congress family stands with them”.

In their joint letter, Kharge and Gandhi said, ‘Our Constitution recognises every individual equally, and our law guarantees equal protection, rights and freedom to every citizen.’

Calling the killing a ‘grave crime against the Constitution and a blot on society’, they cited several other incidents that reflect the growing impunity of those carrying out casteist hate crimes under BJP governments:

• the Hathras and Unnao atrocities against women,

• the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula,

• the Madhya Pradesh incident where a BJP leader urinated on a tribal youth,

• the lynchings of Pehlu Khan and Akhlaq, and

• recent assaults on Dalits in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

“Each of these incidents mirrors the growing insensitivity of society, the administration, and those who claim to govern in the name of morality and religion,” the letter said.

Quoting Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of Vaishnav Jan, the Congress leaders reminded the nation that India was envisioned as a republic of justice, equality and compassion — not one ruled by fear and hate.

Both the leaders urged citizens to unite against such injustices, saying, “This struggle must continue until the life and rights of every Indian are protected. The soul of our Constitution demands nothing less.”