UP: Akhilesh questions why ‘Kathavachak’ of backward caste beaten up

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday strongly condemned what he called the growing caste-based monopoly over religious discourse.

Referring to a disturbing incident in Etawah, where a Bhagwat kathavachak (religious storyteller) was thrashed allegedly because of his caste, Akhilesh questioned why members of the backward and marginalised communities are being prevented from narrating religious texts.

“Some people want to keep the right to perform Bhagwat kathas limited to themselves,” Akhilesh said at a press conference held at the SP headquarters in Lucknow. “If everyone is allowed to listen to the katha, why shouldn’t everyone be allowed to narrate it? If true devotees of Lord Krishna are insulted because of their caste, how can that be tolerated in a civilised society?”

Akhilesh was referring to a widely circulated video showing the Etawah kathavachak being beaten, his hair chopped off, and a woman with him being humiliated—allegedly forced to touch someone’s feet with her nose—after the man’s caste was questioned.

The video sparked widespread political outrage, once again bringing to light the deep-rooted caste discrimination in India’s religious sphere.

Calling the BJP a “heartless and undemocratic government,” Akhilesh alleged that the ruling party had failed to protect the rights and dignity of the marginalised.

“If justice were truly delivered as per the Constitution and the Preamble crafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar, incidents like this would not happen,” he said.