Tensions flared in Etawah’s Dandarpur village on Thursday, just days after two Bhagwat Katha preachers were allegedly tonsured and humiliated by upper-caste men over their Yadav identity. Protesters from Yadav groups took to the streets demanding justice for the victims and the withdrawal of police cases against them.
Crowds gathered near the Agra-Kanpur highway and outside Bakewar police station, demanding the arrest of all accused. Police said they had deployed heavy force across the area to prevent escalation. Videos circulated online showed protesters clashing with police, pelting stones while officers fired warning shots into the air.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said, “Around 1:30 pm, a sizeable crowd began gathering. While most were persuaded to leave, a few tried to enter Dandarpur forcibly, threatening public peace. We have detained 19 individuals and seized 13 vehicles. Legal action is underway.”
Earlier in the day, hundreds of Yadav community members surrounded the Bakewar police station, accusing police of targeting the victims instead of the accused. SP (Rural) Sreesh Chandra said police used mild force to disperse the crowd after they refused to back down. A police jeep was damaged during the clash.
The unrest follows a disturbing incident on the night of June 22–23, when Mukut Mani Yadav and his aide, Sant Singh Yadav—both religious storytellers—were allegedly assaulted, tonsured, and humiliated by a group of men in Dandarpur village. In a viral video, the attackers are heard saying, “You are getting punished for coming to the village of Brahmins.”
“I was tortured all night. My head was shaved, and they sprinkled urine on me, saying it was to purify me,” Sant Singh Yadav told reporters.
The video was shared by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who condemned the incident as a “shameful attack on constitutional values.” He warned that if justice was not delivered within three days, a large-scale movement would follow.
So far, four men—Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey—have been arrested. However, protests continue amid claims that police are harassing the victims and their supporters instead of focusing on all accused.
UP Minister Jaiveer Singh responded by accusing Akhilesh Yadav of politicising the incident. “Akhilesh gave it a casteist spin without verifying facts. His statements incited violence,” Singh said in Lucknow.
Calling the incident a “well-planned conspiracy,” the minister said 15 more people involved in the violence had been detained. “The law will take its course. No one—regardless of caste—will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he added.
