Sitapur- A disturbing incident exposing caste-based hatred and animosity towards the legacy of Baba Saheb came to light in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The incident, captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media, took place on the morning of August 20. The victim, a member of the scheduled caste community, encountered verbal abuse and bigotry while going about his daily activities.

The victim, identified as Prem Shankar, is employed by a private telecom company and had visited Behari village for work-related purposes. His motorcycle, adorned with the words 'Om Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim,' became a focal point of contention. A resident of the village, identified as Kamlu Trivedi, reportedly took offense to the religious inscriptions and proceeded to question Prem Shankar's caste with derogatory remarks.

The situation escalated as Prem Shankar protested against the casteist rhetoric, prompting an inebriated individual to unleash abusive language against the revered figure, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

The video, which lasts for a total of 2 minutes and 4 seconds, captures a heated exchange between a janeu dhari Pandit, sporting the sacred thread, and Prem Shankar, the bike rider bearing religious inscriptions. The Pandit's query "What is Bhim?" receives a sharp retort from Prem Shankar: "Tell me what you just said about Baba Saheb." The Pandit's response takes a disgraceful turn as he begins to hurl abuses at Ambedkar.

In a written complaint lodged with the local police station, Prem Shankar narrated the incident, expressing his deep concern about the episode of prejudice and intolerance. The police reportedly apprehended the accused on the evening of August 20, but the accused was allegedly released under the influence of the village head. Subsequently, with the viral circulation of the video, the accused was once again taken into custody on August 21.

Notably, the victim had shared screenshots of the video's details with The Mooknayak, indicating the video's origin on the morning of August 20.In response to the incident, SP Sitapur, Chakresh Mishra, conveyed the preliminary findings to The Mooknayak correspondent. According to Mishra, the victim claimed the video was not recent, and following the intervention of the police, both parties were summoned to the police station. Mishra added that the victim had withdrawn the initial complaint, while emphasizing that further action would be taken if additional complaints surfaced. However, as per the evening update, it was known that a case has been registered under the SC-ST Act and the investigation has been assigned to CO Mohli.

Also Read-