Brutal Attack on Yadav Priest in UP Sparks Uproar — Priest Beaten, Hair Shaved, Forced to Rub Nose on Ground

Lucknow: In a shocking case of caste-based humiliation, a priest belonging to the Yadav community was brutally assaulted, his hair forcibly shaved, and a video of the incident widely circulated online. The incident took place at Dadarpur village in the Bakewar police station area of Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh.

According to reports, Mukut Mani Yadav, a Bhagwat Katha orator from the Yadav community, was invited to narrate the Bhagwat Katha. However, when the Brahmin community present at the event discovered that he was not Brahmin, they forcibly shaved off his choti (the sacred hair tuft), beat him up, and filmed the entire ordeal.

The disturbing video went viral after it was posted on social media, creating an uproar across the region. Mukut Mani alleged that after cutting his hair, the perpetrators held him hostage for nearly five hours.

The incident took place on 22 June and went viral several days later. In the footage, Mukut Mani and his assistant can be seen being beaten and humiliated by the villagers. Mukut Mani stated that he was targeted solely for belonging to the Yadav caste.

Four men — Ashish, Uttam, Pratham alias Manu, and Nikki — all residents of Dadarpur village — have been arrested by Etawah police so far.

In the video, locals can be seen pressuring Mukut Mani to touch the feet of a woman present at the scene. Videos of them shaving off his hair and forcing him into acts of submission spread quickly across social media platforms.

After the priest and his assistants managed to escape, they approached Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava with their complaints.

Etawah SSP Brijesh Kumar Srivastava took immediate cognizance of the viral video and assured that a formal case has been registered. SSP Srivastava stated that strict action will be taken against all culprits involved.

He explained that local Brahmins had raised objections over the priest’s caste after initially believing him to be Brahmin. When they learned that he belonged to the Yadav community, they assaulted him and cut his hair as a way of punishing him for "hiding" his identity.

Four accused — Ashish (21), Uttam (19), Pratham alias Manu (24), and Nikki (30) — have been arrested, and legal action is underway.

Narrating the incident, Mukut Mani said that when the Brahmin villagers learned he was a Yadav, they became furious. “I was held captive overnight. They took my mobile, my gold chain, and ₹25,000,” he stated.

He further alleged that during the Katha, Brahmin villagers asked him why someone from the Yadav community dared to recite the Bhagwat Katha in a Brahmin village. The villagers told him that this village belonged to Brahmins only and that as a Yadav, he was unworthy of sitting on the Vyas seat.

“My choti was cut off. They forced my assistant to do the same. They made us rub our noses on the ground at a woman’s feet and even sprinkled her urine on us,” Mukut Mani added.

The priest explained that his team was held captive, their phones were snatched, and they were brutally beaten. “They chanted ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ and then threw us out of the village,” he said.

He named a few of the main accused — Pappu Baba, Atul, Manish, and approximately 50 other villagers — who had assaulted him. “My head was forcibly shaved in front of everyone. They made me bow before the villagers and rub my nose at their feet,” Mukut Mani recalled.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav condemned the attack on X (formerly Twitter), stating that such acts of discrimination violated fundamental constitutional rights. “This is a direct attack on the dignity and self-respect of individuals,” Yadav wrote, demanding swift arrests under relevant SC/ST provisions and warning that the party would stage a protest if justice was delayed.

SP MP Jitendra Dohare also expressed deep concern and assured that if action wasn’t taken, the issue would be raised in Parliament.

Bhim Army chief and MP Chandrashekhar Azad similarly denounced the attack as an organized act of oppression and humiliation of Dalits and backward classes. He called for the perpetrators to be charged under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for the victims to receive ₹10 lakh as compensation, along with police protection. Azad warned that if the authorities failed to act within two days, his party would mobilize a large public protest.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also strongly criticized the incident, calling it a heinous casteist atrocity. “Seventy-eight years after independence, this is the state of our society,” Singh said. “There is no religious scripture that states a Yadav cannot narrate a Bhagwat Katha. This was nothing but brazen discrimination and an attack on human dignity.”