Lynched Dalit’s Family ‘Refuses’ to Meet Rahul Gandhi – ‘Go Back Rahul’ Posters Surface Across State
Tensions rise in Uttar Pradesh as the family of a lynched Dalit man refuses to meet Rahul Gandhi during his visit. ‘Go Back Rahul’ posters appear in 5 districts, sparking political controversy and protests
The family of Hari Om Valmiki, the man who was lynched in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli on suspicion of theft, has released a video statement announcing that they do not wish to meet Rahul Gandhi or any other opposition leader during his planned visit on Friday.
The family said they are “satisfied with the action taken by the Yogi Adityanath government” and urged political leaders not to “cash in on the tragedy.”
“We don’t want Rahul Gandhi or leaders from any other party to come here and do politics. We are satisfied with the government’s response. My brother’s murderers are in jail and an appropriate action has been taken,” Hari Om Valmiki’s brother said in the video.
Apart from the video statement, posters saying “Don’t encash the tragedy, go back” appeared on the street leading to the family’s home ahead of Gandhi’s scheduled visit.
Hari Om Valmiki, a Dalit and native of the Fatehpur district, was beaten to death by a mob in the Unchahar area of Rae Bareli on October 2 after being mistaken for a thief. Police have so far arrested 12 accused in the case.
The Congress claimed the party’s state president was prevented from visiting the victim’s family.
A statement issued by the party claimed that Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president and former minister Ajay Rai was on his way to Valmiki’s residence in Fatehpur on Saturday to express condolences to his family and provide financial assistance on behalf of the party; however, the government prevented him from proceeding.
An official statement stated that Hari Om Valmiki’s wife, Sangeeta Valmiki, along with her father, Chhote Lal, and daughter, Ananya, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by Manoj Pandey, the MLA from Unchahar. The chief minister expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
Earlier, Rakesh Sachan, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Khadi, Handloom, and Textiles, and Asim Arun, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Welfare, met with the bereaved family on Saturday and assured them of justice and strict action against the perpetrators.
In a dramatic political development, tensions flared in Uttar Pradesh as the family of a Dalit man who was allegedly lynched last week reportedly refused to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his planned visit on Thursday. The incident triggered widespread attention after ‘Go Back Rahul’ posters surfaced in multiple districts across the state, including Mainpuri, Etawah, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Prayagraj, signaling growing resistance to the Congress leader’s outreach effort.
Rahul Gandhi, who has been on a series of state-level visits ahead of the upcoming 2025 assembly elections, had scheduled a stop in the victim’s village to meet the grieving family and express solidarity. However, sources from the ground reported that the family declined to meet him, saying they were not interested in “political sympathy” and instead wanted “justice and action.”
Local authorities confirmed that the Congress delegation was stopped outside the village gate after the family conveyed their unwillingness to engage. “We have nothing to say to politicians. We only want those responsible for our son’s death to be punished,” a family member was quoted as saying.
Adding to the tension, Rahul Gandhi’s arrival was met with ‘Go Back Rahul’ posters plastered across several public areas. Protesters, allegedly from rival political groups and local organizations, raised slogans accusing the Congress leader of politicizing a tragic incident.
Security forces were deployed in large numbers to prevent any escalation. District police officials stated that the situation was under control, though sporadic protests were reported from a few adjoining areas. “There was mild unrest in some regions, but no violence occurred,” a senior police officer said.
The Congress party strongly defended Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to meet the family, describing it as an act of compassion rather than politics. “Rahul Gandhi’s visit was only to express solidarity with the victim’s family. Any attempt to portray it as political opportunism is completely baseless,” said a Congress spokesperson.
Party leaders also accused the state government of trying to block the visit and “orchestrating” the protests to tarnish the image of the Congress leader. “The government is scared of Rahul Gandhi’s growing public connect,” one senior Congress official alleged.
The BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP) have entered a heated war of words over the controversy. While BJP leaders mocked Rahul Gandhi’s visit as a “photo-op gone wrong,” SP officials accused the ruling government of “failing Dalit citizens” and using “diversionary tactics” to suppress public anger.
“The issue isn’t Rahul Gandhi — it’s about justice for the Dalit victim. But the government is busy controlling optics rather than punishing the guilty,” said an SP leader from Mainpuri.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has demanded a CBI investigation into the lynching case, claiming they have no faith in the current police inquiry. They alleged that several local political figures were involved in shielding the accused. Human rights activists have also raised concerns about the increasing number of Dalit-targeted hate crimes in rural UP.
With the Congress eyeing revival in Uttar Pradesh and Rahul Gandhi attempting to rebuild grassroots trust, the incident has created a major setback for the party’s outreach campaign. Political analysts believe the family’s refusal and the emergence of hostile posters could impact the optics of Congress’s renewed push in the Hindi heartland.
As the investigation into the lynching continues, the incident has reignited the debate over Dalit safety, political exploitation of caste tragedies, and the deepening polarization in Uttar Pradesh’s pre-election environment.
