UP: Keshav Maurya's post sparks backlash amid Rahul's visit to Valmiki family

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s sharp social media attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has sparked intense backlash online, coinciding with the Congress leader’s visit to the family of Hariom Valmiki, a Dalit man lynched earlier this month in Raebareli.

Maurya’s post on X accused Gandhi of turning the tragedy into a “photo opportunity”, claimed that several arrests had already been made, and urged him to “stop this drama (nautanki)”. He insisted that the Yogi Adityanath government’s motto — 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Samman aur Suraksha' — remained its guiding principle.

The message provoked a flood of angry replies accusing Maurya of insensitivity and deflecting blame from the administration.

Several users questioned the government’s claim of upholding “security” under 'Baba' (as Adityanath is referred to), demanding evidence of compassion and action. One asked bluntly why the state dismissed Gandhi’s visit as politics when “a Dalit has been killed and the government has done nothing”. Another accused Maurya of hypocrisy, saying that if consoling victims is shameful, then “every leader should behave so shamelessly”.

The Valmiki lynching is part of a troubling pattern of caste-related violence that has persisted across Uttar Pradesh in recent years.

• Mainpuri, August 2025: A 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by upper-caste men; the case sparked protests over police delay in filing an FIR.

• Prayagraj, June 2025: A Dalit man died in police custody; his family alleged torture. Allahabad High Court later demanded a detailed report from the UP DGP.

• Amroha, February 2025: A Dalit youth was attacked with a sword after objecting to a group consuming alcohol near his home. Police booked three men but made no arrests for weeks.valmiki

श्री राहुल गांधी जी आपको शर्म आनी चाहिए यह आपका फोटो खिंचवाने का कार्यक्रम मात्र है। सबका साथ सबका विकास सबका सम्मान और सुरक्षा हमारी सरकार की सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता है, संबंधित मामले में कई लोगों को गिरफ़्तार कर जेल भेजा जा चुका है।पीड़ित परिवार की पीड़ा से आपका कोई लेना देना नहीं… pic.twitter.com/RBc86ynCZv

— Keshav Prasad Maurya (@kpmaurya1) October 17, 2025

Rahul Gandhi condoles Hariom Valmiki’s family, vows justice for Dalits

• Unnao, November 2024: Two Dalit cousins were found dead in a field after allegedly being poisoned; the case drew parallels with the 2020 Hathras outrage.

• Agra, October 2023: Dalit sanitation worker Arun Valmiki died in police custody, triggering state-wide protests.

• Statewide (2020–22): Uttar Pradesh recorded over 41,000 cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes — roughly a quarter of India’s total, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

On 2 October, Hariom Valmiki, reportedly mentally unwell, was lynched by a mob in Raebareli’s Unchahar area following rumours that he had stolen a drone. Video clips showed him being beaten with rods and sticks. Police described it as “mob violence”, not a caste crime, stating that the accused belonged to various castes.

So far, over a dozen people have been arrested. The main accused, Deepak Agrahari, was caught after an encounter in which he was shot in the leg. Also, five police personnel have so far been suspended for negligence.

Adityanath himself met the Valmiki family and announced compensation — Rs 13.84 lakh in total, a house, and a government job for the widow. Critics, however, say such relief measures are no substitute for conviction or accountability.

During his visit, Gandhi accused the administration of intimidating the family and pressuring them to refuse political visitors. Congress sources cited reports that Valmiki allegedly took Gandhi’s name in his dying moments, lending a symbolic charge to the visit.

Maurya’s post and the fierce online backlash have since deepened political tensions, with opposition parties portraying the episode as another instance of the state’s failure to protect Dalits, while the BJP defends its record as “decisive and compassionate.”