Insult to Religion in the Name of Caste in Etawah, Sanatan Tradition Shamed

A shocking incident in Dadarpur village under Bakewar police station in Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh, has triggered widespread outrage across religious, social, and political spheres.

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Bhagwat Katha narrator Mukut Mani Yadav and his associate Sant Singh Yadav were allegedly subjected to abuse, assault, and caste-based humiliation. This incident not only shook the soul of Sanatan tradition but also exposed the mindset of a society still trapped in the illusion of caste superiority.

According to Mukut Mani Yadav, he had come to the village to narrate the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha. During the event, some of the organizers asked about his caste. Upon learning that he belonged to the Yadav community, they not only stopped the Katha but also removed him from the stage, verbally abused him, cut his sacred tuft (choti), shaved his head, and allegedly forced him to rub his nose on the ground before a woman as an apology. He further claimed that they urinated on his face and broke his harmonium. The incident was caught on camera, and once the video went viral, strong reactions erupted across the state.

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident as the height of caste dominance and launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP. In a press conference in Lucknow, he sarcastically said that if caste certificates are now mandatory for narrating religious discourses, then the Yogi government should legislate accordingly. He honored Mukut Mani Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav by gifting them ?21,000 each and announced a party contribution of ?51,000 to both. He termed the incident as yet another example of the continuous humiliation faced by the PDA communities Backward classes, Dalits, and Minorities in BJP-ruled states.