Dalit’s lynching: UP Congress chief Ajay Rai tries to visit family, detained

As soon as Rai, along with senior party leaders came out of party office in Lucknow, police stopped their vehicle and took Rai and some others into a bus. They were later set free

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was on Saturday detained as he came out of the party office in Lucknow to visit Fatehpur to meet the family of a Dalit Hariom Valmiki, 38, a Fatehpur resident, who was mistaken for a thief and allegedly lynched in Rae Bareli on October 3.

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai was detained in Lucknow while making a bid to visit lynched Dalit man’s kin in Fatehpur. (Sourced)

A police force remained deployed since morning and barricades were placed on all roads around the Congress office. As soon as Rai, along with senior party leaders including Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Sitapur MP Rakesh Rathore came out, the policemen stopped their vehicle and took Rai and a few of his supporters into a bus. They were later set free.

“No one spoke on the death of the Dalit man. Mayawati kept mum over the sad incident and was busy addressing her rally. The BJP stopped a Congress delegation on October 10 and now as I tried to go and meet the family, the BJP has put a police force to stop me,” Ajay Rai alleged after he was detained. Congress workers raised slogans against the government and for a few minutes there was an affray between Congress workers and cops.