The Congress party on Wednesday alleged that Dalits are facing their worst period under the BJP government, with atrocities against the community having reached a peak, and pointed to a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district as fresh evidence of the worsening situation.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai said crimes against Dalits had risen sharply under the Yogi Adityanath government. “Two days ago, an attempt was made to set Jaslal Saroj ablaze in Bhadohi. The state government wants to eliminate not poverty but the poor, but the Congress is committed to the security of Dalits,” he said.
Congress Leaders Raise Wider Concerns
Rajendra Pal Gautam, chairman of the All India Congress Committee Scheduled Castes Department, spoke about the broader failures he attributed to the current dispensation. He said millions had sacrificed their lives for India’s independence but had never imagined an India where children are forced to abandon their studies due to poverty and people die for lack of medical treatment. He also raised the question of India’s foreign policy independence, asking why the country should need to seek permission from the United States to purchase oil.
Manoj Yadav, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress OBC Department, said the fight for social justice initiated by Kanshi Ram was now being carried forward by Rahul Gandhi.
Grand Event Planned for Kanshi Ram’s Birth Anniversary
Anil Jai Hind, chairman of the All India Congress Committee Backward Classes Department, announced that the Congress would observe Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary on March 13 as Social Change Day. “A grand event will be organised on March 13 to carry forward his ideas and build the India of his dreams,” he said.
Congress leaders confirmed that Rahul Gandhi will attend the Samajik Parivartan Diwas programme dedicated to Kanshi Ram on March 13. The event is being positioned by the party as a demonstration of its commitment to Dalit and backward class communities ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
