A Dalit girl’s murder in Meerut has sparked a war of words among leaders in Uttar Pradesh. The issue began with the murder of a 20-year-old Dalit girl, Lalita Gautam, who went missing on May 15 after leaving home to appear for an examination. Her body was later recovered from a sugarcane field in the Rohta area of Meerut district. Police arrested the victim’s alleged boyfriend, Ankush, in connection with the murder, but he was later released on bail.
The victim’s family and Dalit groups, alleging involvement of more accused in the case, protested outside the Collectorate on July 8 and 9, demanding a renewed investigation. The demonstration escalated into confrontations between the protesters and law enforcement, with the police using a lathi charge to break up the gathering. Seven individuals were taken into custody, and cases were filed against approximately 50 unidentified persons for unlawful assembly and attacking police personnel.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati urged Dalits and other marginalized sections to fight injustice through constitutional means and refrain from taking to the streets. She alleged that certain organizations and political parties, driven by narrow political interests, first instigate violence and later their leaders visit the affected areas to shed crocodile tears. Mayawati’s comments were seen as a criticism of the Congress and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad.
Azad hit back at the BSP chief, saying that they come to shed crocodile tears, just like Mayawati. He also criticized the BSP’s stance, saying that going to court for justice can take 10 years, and till then, the honor of their sisters and daughters continues to be looted. Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai also criticized the police action, saying that it signals that marginalized communities are being treated as second-class citizens by the BJP.
The police action also included placing several Congress leaders under house arrest, including former Congress Meerut district president Avnish Kajla, former MLA Gajraj Singh, Zahid Ansari, and city Congress chief Ranjan Sharma. Rai said that the Congress will fight for the issues of marginalized communities at every possible platform within the democratic structure.
