New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came down heavily upon the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the viral video which showed a group of people tonsuring the head of a religious preacher and his aide after finding that they belonged to Yadav community. The SP supremo accused the BJP government of harassing and threatening the people belonging to PDA – Pichade (Backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Minorities).
“BJP government is doing injustice. PDA people are being threatened. When we can listen to the story, why can’t everyone narrate it? Bhagwat Katha is related to Lord Krishna. If true Krishna devotees are prevented from narrating the story, then why should anyone tolerate the insult?” Yadav said in a press conference.
Mounting his attack, the SP chief alleged that such incidents are being taking place in the state as the BJP government wants to create mental pressure on the PDA society.
इटावा के बकेवर इलाके के दान्दरपुर गांव में भागवत कथा के दौरान कथावाचक और उनके सहायकों की जाति पूछने पर पीडीए की एक जाति बताने पर, कुछ वर्चस्ववादी और प्रभुत्ववादी लोगों ने साथ अभद्र व्यवहार करते हुए उनके बाल कटवाए, नाक रगड़वाई और इलाके की शुद्धि कराई।
हमारा संविधान जातिगत भेदभाव… pic.twitter.com/Pr11ohEp59
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 23, 2025
The incident took place in Dandarpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawaha on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The victims were ‘katha vachak’ (narrator of holy texts) and had gone to the village for a ‘Bhagwad Katha’. The victims were questioned over their caste when they went to perform a Bhagwat Katha in Dandarpur village beginning June 21. They were allegedly tortured and their hair was shaved for visiting a “village of Brahmins”.
Taking note of the widely-circulated video, police swung into action and arrested for people, including the main accused, on Monday. In the clip, a group of people can be seen misbehaving with two people, and forcibly shaving their head. The accused were purportedly heard saying in the clip, “You are getting punished for coming to the village of Brahmins”.
Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, a case was registered at Bakewar police station in Etawah district and the accused along with three more people was arrested.
Akhilesh Yadav had earlier also shared the video of the incident on X and wrote, “”During a Bhagwat Katha in Dandarpur village of Bakewar area of Etawah, when the ‘katha vaachak’ and his assistants were asked about their caste, they said they belonged to the PDA caste. Some dominant people behaved indecently with them, got their hair cut, their noses rubbed and the area purified.” “Our Constitution does not allow caste discrimination,” he said.
