Congress condemns atrocity against Dalit men in Odisha, seeks action against cow vigilantes

Odisha Congress has formed a five-member fact-finding team, led by Rama Chandra Kadam, leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Odisha Assembly, to investigate into heinous incident in the Ganjam district. Two Dalit men, accused of cattle smuggling, were tonsured, forced to eat grass, and made to drink waste water.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of June 22, when Babula Naik and Bulu Naik were taking three cows from Singipur village, under the jurisdiction of Gangpur police station in Ganjam district, to arrange items for a marriage ceremony. They were intercepted by a group of local youths from Jahada village, under Dharakote police limits, who were reportedly cow vigilantes.

“The miscreants demanded ₹30,000 from the two men to let them go. When the victims expressed their inability to pay, they were humiliated — their heads were forcibly shaved, they were made to eat grass, and forced to drink wastewater,” said Ganjam Superintendent of Police Suvendu Kumar Patra on Tuesday (June 24, 2025).

Mr. Patra added that nine individuals, including a minor, were arrested, while three others involved in the brutal act remained absconding. Eight of the accused have been produced before a local court, and the minor before the Juvenile Justice Board. The incident sparked outrage after videos and photographs of the assault surfaced on social media.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed grave concern, saying such incidents were becoming increasingly common in BJP-ruled States, where the politics of hatred and hierarchy had led to a sharp rise in atrocities against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women — especially in Odisha.

“Every assault on the dignity of Dalits is an attack on Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution — a conspiracy against the values of equality, justice, and humanity,” he said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also voiced concern on social media, condemning the brutal assault on the two Dalit youths in Odisha as deeply shameful.

“They were forced to eat grass and crawl on their knees — an inhuman act that disgraces all of humanity. This horrific incident is not only an attack on the Dalit community but also a grave insult to the Constitution envisioned by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, which upholds the ideals of equality, justice, and human dignity. The increasing frequency of such incidents in BJP-ruled states is deeply troubling,” Ms. Vadra said, demanding swift and stringent action against the perpetrators.

Odisha Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said he would visit the victims on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) to gather firsthand information about the atrocity.

According to the police, the accused have been identified as Sibasankar Mohanty, Satya Sahu, Bainath Bisoyi, Omm Gouda, Ganapati Polei, Santosh Dakua, Sankar Das, and Narayan Dakua. Another key accused, Raja Samal, is still absconding.