Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will on Friday meet the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit man who was allegedly lynched earlier this month in Raebareli district after being mistaken for a thief, Congress leaders said.
For the meeting, the Raebareli MP will be briefly visiting Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district where the Valmiki's family stays.
According to his itinerary, Gandhi will leave Delhi on Friday morning and arrive in Kanpur by a special flight at 8 am.
He will then travel by road to Fatehpur and meet the victim's family between 9.15 am and 9.45 am, before returning to Kanpur to proceed to Assam to meet the family of singer Zubeen Garg, who died recently in Singapore, Congress leaders said.
Congress' UP unit president Ajay Rai said Gandhi's visit aims to express solidarity with the bereaved family and assure them of justice.
"Rahul Gandhi has been closely monitoring the case from the beginning and has spoken to the victim's family. His visit is meant to reaffirm the Congress party's commitment to standing with victims of injustice," Rai told PTI.
Gandhi's proposed UP visit comes a day after his Chandigarh visit on Tuesday to meet the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly committed suicide. In a "final note" purportedly left behind by Kumar, he accused eight senior officers of blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities.
During his visit to Chandigarh, Gandhi had called for the "respect of all Dalits". He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Haryana government to take immediate action and arrest the officials responsible.
Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit resident of Fatehpur district, was allegedly beaten to death on the night of October 2 near Jamunapur village in neighbouring Raebareli district after being mistaken for a thief.
The incident had sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, accusing the BJP government of failing to protect Dalits and curb mob violence.
Following the attack, police registered a case, and have so far arrested 14 people, including the main accused who was held after an encounter on October 10. Five policemen, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended for alleged lapses in handling the case.
Officials said efforts are underway to trace others involved, some of whom may have fled to neighbouring districts or states.
Raebareli police clarified that those arrested belonged to various castes, including Dalits and backward communities, and urged the public not to give the incident a caste colour.
The case also drew a response from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who met Valmiki's wife Sangeeta Valmiki and other family members in Lucknow on October 11. He assured them of justice and announced assistance including a permanent government job, housing under the CM Housing Scheme and coverage under state welfare programmes.
Adityanath had said that the accused were arrested within 24 hours and that ensuring the safety and dignity of Dalits and deprived communities was a top priority of the government.
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