‘Are you Bangladeshi?’ Hindutva gang lynches Dalit man in Kerala
New Delhi: A disturbing video has surfaced in connection with the lynching of a Dalit worker from Chhattisgarh in Kerala’s Palakkad district, revealing that the assailants repeatedly questioned his identity by asking, “Are you Bangladeshi?” before brutally assaulting him.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the victim, Ram Narayan Baghel, was attacked by a group of local residents in the Attappallam area near Walayar on allegations of theft, although police later confirmed that no stolen items were recovered from him. The video shows the attackers slapping and interrogating Baghel, with one of them seen laughing during the assault, indicating a disturbing sense of gratification.
The assailants continued beating Baghel even as he pleaded innocence and reportedly told them he was not Bangladeshi. During the attack, Baghel collapsed, vomited blood. He later succumbed to his injuries at hospital. A postmortem conducted at Thrissur Medical College revealed severe internal and external injuries, confirming a brutal mob assault.
Meanwhile, Baghel’s family, who travelled to Kerala from Chhattisgarh, has refused to take custody of his body, demanding stricter charges against the accused and compensation from the government. His brother, Shashikant, said the family wants the case registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, asserting that Baghel belonged to a Dalit community.
The lynching has sparked a political controversy in the state. Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) leader and minister M.B. Rajesh alleged that the killing was driven by racial hatred promoted by the RSS, noting that branding the victim as “Bangladeshi” reflected deep-rooted prejudice. He also claimed that two of the accused had prior involvement in clashes between CPI-M)and RSS workers.
