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19 individuals were detained and 13 vehicles seized in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district after mass protests by the Yadav community against the caste-based assault of two Yadav Bhagavat Katha narrators on June 22. On June 26, large crowds took to the streets to demand punishment for the Brahmin village of Dandarpur, where the assault took place.
Videos of the protest emerged on social media, showing police struggling to ensure crowd control amidst the chaos.
The protesters blocked the Agra-Kanpur highway and gathered outside Bakewar police stations, demanding the arrest and prompt punishment of all accused. Local reports claimed organisations like Ahir Regiment and Yadav Mahasabha had organised the mass mobilisation.
Police claimed that massive garrisons of forces had been deployed to keep the law and order situation in check. Videos emerging from the ground depict police officers struggling to hide amidst a swarm of protesters pelting stones.
Speaking to reporters, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said that the trouble began around 1:30 in the afternoon. “A few tried to enter Dandarpur forcibly, threatening public peace. We have detained 19 individuals and seized 13 vehicles. Legal action is underway,” he added.
The Yadav community had gathered en masse, surrounding the police station in the morning. They claimed that the police had, insofar been harassing the victims rather than focusing on arresting the accused.
Local reports emerging from the ground suggested that the swarms of protesters had reached Etawah in response to a protest call made by a significant figure, Gagan Yadav, founder of an organisation named Indian Reformers.
Gagan Yadav is a strong mobiliser in the community. His organisation has been the primary voice for the Ahir Regiment in the Indian National Army for the Yadav community.
Gagan had announced the mass mobilisation through his Facebook account on June 25; he, himself, however, was kept under house arrest in Agra for the day of the protest, in order to keep the situation from worsening.
Posting a call-to-arms over the assault case, Yadav had said, “Kathavachak ke samman mein, aa rahe hain maidaan mein” (for the honour of the narrator, we are entering the battlefield).
The unrest was in response to a brutal assault on two Yadav kathavachaks in Etawah.
In village Dandarpur on June 22, Mukut Mani Singh Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav were beaten and humiliated once discovered to be non-Brahmins. Though honest about their Yadav roots, both were abused with casteist slurs. Their hair was shaved off, and they were forced to rub their noses on a woman’s foot as repentance.
“I was tortured all night. My head was shaved, and they sprinkled urine on me, saying it was to purify me,” Sant Singh Yadav told reporters.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had warned that mass mobilisation would follow if the case was not investigated thoroughly. The SP head honcho later met the men, facilitating them with Rs 21,000 each, as well as Rs 51,000 in aid.
“The Bhagavat Katha is for everyone; when everyone can listen, why can’t everyone speak?” the Kannauj MP asked reporters.
Earlier, in a post, party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the ruling government, stating that the Indian Constitution does not allow caste-based discrimination. “This is a crime committed against the fundamental right to live with dignity and respect. All the accused should be immediately arrested, and a case should be registered under the appropriate sections. If strict action is not taken within the next 3 days, we will call for a major movement to ‘protect the dignity and honour of PDA,” he wrote on X.
Azad Samaj Party President and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad echoed a similar sentiment, describing the assault as being representative of a larger trend against Constitutional values and the lower castes. “This is not only a shameful act of casteist terrorism but also a direct attack on the self-respect, Constitution, and humanity of the Bahujan community. This cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he wrote on X.
Azad further demanded that all accused be arrested and refused political protection, the creation of a special judicial committee to supervise the investigation, the application of stringent sections of the SC/ST Act, and Rs 10 lakh from the government to be given to the victims as compensation, along with security.
Four men – Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey – have been arrested so far. “They were responsible for shaving Yadav’s head. Over 50 people face FIRs under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act,” SSP Kumar told reporters last week. Recent protests have demanded the arrest of all accused in the case.
Meanwhile, UP Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh claimed the unrest was all a ploy by Akhilesh Yadav, saying that the SP head “gave it a casteist spin without verifying facts.”
Singh further referred to it as a “well-planned conspiracy” and claimed that Akhilesh’s statements against the assault “incited violence.”
“The law will take its course. No one—regardless of caste—will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he added while speaking to reporters in Lucknow.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Bharthna Circle Officer Atul Pradhan confirmed that 19 protesters were taken into custody, and only four of the original accused have been arrested, the same status as on June 24.
Further investigation is underway.
This post was last modified on June 27, 2025 5:09 pm