New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit man who was allegedly lynched in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli earlier this month, and accused the state government of threatening the victim’s family to stop them from meeting him.
According to reports, Gandhi visited the family’s home to offer condolences and express solidarity after the 24-year-old was beaten to death by a mob over suspicions linked to a spate of thefts in the area. “The government is threatening the family to prevent them from meeting me. They are scared and being pressured,” Gandhi alleged after the meeting.
The Congress MP said the family was facing difficulty in getting medical help and claimed that those accused in the case were being shielded. “Justice is being denied to the poor and oppressed. The administration is protecting the culprits instead of standing with the victims,” he said.
हरिओम वाल्मीकि की नृशंस हत्या ने पूरे देश की अंतरात्मा को झकझोर दिया है।
उनके परिवार की आंखों में दर्द के साथ एक सवाल था – क्या इस देश में दलित होना अब भी जानलेवा गुनाह है?
उत्तर प्रदेश में प्रशासन पीड़ित परिवार को डराने में जुटा है। उन्होंने परिवार को मुझसे मिलने से रोकने की… pic.twitter.com/6a8mglGb8M
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 17, 2025
Gandhi assured the family of Congress’s full support and said the party would continue to fight against atrocities on Dalits across the country. “Wherever injustice happens, we will stand with the victims,” he said.
Hariom Valmiki was lynched in early October when villagers allegedly mistook him for a thief during a night vigil. Reports said panic had spread in the locality following rumours that a gang was using drones to mark houses for robberies. Police have since arrested several suspects in connection with the killing.
The incident has triggered political outrage, with opposition parties accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of failing to curb rising caste-based violence in the state.