Bhubaneswar: Congress MP and LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has condemned the alleged atrocities on two Dalit men at Kharigumma village under Dharakote block in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
Gandhi called the incident an attack on the constitutional values of equality and justice, attributing it to “Manuvadi ideology”. “This incident reflects the reality for those who deny the persistence of caste issues in India,” he said in a post on X.
He highlighted a rise in atrocities against women, ST, and SC communities in BJP-ruled states, including Odisha, and urged the state government to arrest the perpetrators and deliver justice to the victims. “Such incidents are becoming common in BJP ruled states because their politics is based on hatred and discrimination. Especially in Odisha, atrocities against SC, ST and women have increased alarmingly. The culprits should be arrested immediately and given severe punishment. The country will be run by the Constitution, not Manusmriti,” he added.
ओडिशा में दो दलित युवकों को घुटनों पर चलने, घास खाने और गंदा पानी पीने पर मजबूर करना सिर्फ़ अमानवीय नहीं, बल्कि मनुवादी सोच की बर्बरता है।
ये घटना उन लोगों के लिए आईना है जो कहते हैं कि जाति अब मुद्दा नहीं रही।
दलितों की गरिमा को रौंदने वाली हर घटना, बाबा साहेब के संविधान पर…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 23, 2025
The incident has triggered widespread outrage in political circles after purported videos of the assault went viral on social media.
…made to crawl, drink sewage water over cow smuggling charge
In broad daylight on Sunday, two Dalit men – Bulu Nayak (52) and Babul Nayak (43) of Singipur – were brutally tortured, half tonsured, forced to eat grass and drink drain water after being falsely accused of cattle smuggling.
The incident occurred when they were transporting a cow and two calves on a cargo auto-rickshaw to their village from Haripur as part of a dowry for an upcoming wedding in their family. A mob accosted them in Kharigumma village, alleging illegal cattle transport, and demanded Rs 30,000. When they expressed their inability to pay, the group tied them with ropes, beat them, partially shaved their heads at a nearby salon, and forced them to crawl 2 km to Jahada village, where they were allegedly made to eat grass and drink drain water at the chhak.
The video purportedly shows the two men crawling with grass clamped between their teeth.
The victims, who sustained serious injuries to their head and back, somehow managed to escape and returned to their village. They filed a complaint with Dharakote police. The FIR, however, was registered late at night as the police were occupied with VVIP duties.
Both men have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
On Monday, police detained six persons in connection with the assault. Preliminary investigations indicate that the attackers’ motive was not animal protection but extortion, police said.
