Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the family of 22-year-old Dalit boy Arjun Pasi, who was shot dead earlier this month in Salon area of Raebareli. The crime is linked with a suspected dispute with locals and has invoked anger across. This barbaric crime brought back to the spotlight issues of caste-based violence and injustice. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his visit to the aggrieved family of Pasi, vowed to stand by them.
Rahul Gandhi’s Visit to Raebareli
He reached Amethi at around 1 p.m., where he went to Nasirabad village to meet the bereaved family of Pasi. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai, AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande, and senior party leader Pramod Tiwari. There was a serious call for a fight for justice for the murdered youth.
Speaking at a gathering, Gandhi said he was deeply concerned over no action taken so far against the alleged perpetrators and opined that it pointed out the systemic issues that continued in the region. “People who have gathered here want justice because a Dalit youth has been killed and his family has been blackmailed, but no action is being taken against this. The SP is not taking any action against the mastermind, and this is why people are angry here,” stated Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi Stresses the Need for Justice and Respect for All
He further added that respect and justice must be dealt to each stratum of society, especially the deprived sections in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi narrated the discussion he had with Pasi’s mother, who said that her son was a barber and faced much harassment from the locals who did not pay for his services. The denial of the increased payment and led to violence, which took the life of Pasiya.
He assured the family that he would not go back on seeking justice and further emphasized, “We will not step back until justice is served to the family.” The incident had led to the arrest of six people, but the visit of Gandhi further underlined the word of vigilance that needs to be kept on top of motivating pressure in the case.