Political Storm Erupts in Amethi
The quiet, grief-stricken lanes of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, have once again become the epicentre of a raging political storm. The dust had barely settled on the tragic lynching of a Dalit man, allegedly over a theft dispute, when a visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the victim’s family unleashed a fresh war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. What was intended as a gesture of solidarity has rapidly devolved into a bitter blame game, with accusations of “political tourism” and insensitivity flying thick and fast.
Rahul Gandhi‘s Visit: A Gesture of Solidarity?
The incident in question saw a Dalit man beaten to death by a mob, a grim reminder of the law and order challenges in the state. Rahul Gandhi, the former Member of Parliament from Amethi, visited the bereaved family, offered his condolences, and assured them of the Congress party’s full support in their fight for justice. For the Congress, this was a clear message: their leader stands with the marginalised and will hold the Yogi Adityanath government accountable for its failure to protect the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
BJP Hits Back: Smriti Irani Alleges ‘Humiliation’ and ‘Vulture Politics’
However, the BJP was not prepared to let the visit go unchallenged. Leading the counter-offensive was Smriti Irani, the current Amethi MP who famously defeated Gandhi in the 2019 elections. In a scathing attack, Irani’s camp accused Gandhi of “humiliating” the family and indulging in “vulture politics.”
“For 15 years, this family lived under the constituency of Rahul Gandhi. Did he ever visit them then?” a senior BJP leader commented. The BJP’s narrative is that Rahul Gandhi is a political opportunist who only appears in Amethi during tragedies to score political points. They argue that his visit was not an act of compassion but a calculated “photo-op” designed to embarrass the ruling party, thereby “humiliating” the family by turning their personal grief into a political spectacle.
Congress Responds: A ‘Shameless Attempt to Divert Attention’
The Congress party hit back with equal ferocity, dismissing the BJP’s criticism as a “desperate and shameless attempt to divert attention” from the core issue—the horrific crime and the deteriorating security situation for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh.
“Is it now a crime to console a grieving family? The BJP is rattled because Rahul Gandhi’s visit exposes the truth of their ‘Ram Rajya’ in UP, where Dalits are lynched in broad daylight,” retorted a Congress spokesperson. The party maintains that as a leader, Gandhi has a moral duty to stand with victims of injustice and accuses the BJP of trying to politicise a tragedy.
The Bigger Picture: A Battle for Narrative in Uttar Pradesh
This political slugfest is a microcosm of the larger battle for narrative control in Uttar Pradesh. With crucial elections always on the horizon, the incident has become a flashpoint in the fight for the Dalit vote bank. While the two national parties trade barbs, a grieving family is caught in the crossfire. As the political noise reaches a crescendo, the question remains whether this high-decibel outrage will translate into justice, or simply fade away until the next tragic headline.
