In an open letter addressed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, party worker Radhika Barman called for a more resolute stance on the Sambhal killings, where five Muslims, including a minor, were shot dead allegedly by the UP police during a protest. Barman criticised the Congress party’s hesitancy in addressing issues affecting Muslims, urging Gandhi to use the term “Muslim” instead of “minority” to convey clarity and empathy. Highlighting the gravity of the Sambhal violence, she termed it a “massacre” and emphasised that it demands a courageous response from the Leader of Opposition.
Barman’s letter raised concerns over the Congress’s limited engagement with Muslim issues, criticising its focus on political strategy over human dignity. She urged Gandhi to refrain from differentiating between “Hinduism and Hindutva” in such contexts and instead anchor his narrative in constitutional values and compassion. She outlined immediate steps for the party, including visiting Sambhal to console grieving families, providing legal aid to victims, demanding compensation, and forming a fact-finding committee with Hindu and Muslim members. These steps, she noted, would resonate not only with Muslims but also with secular Hindus who expect decisive leadership from the INDIA alliance.
Barman acknowledged the risks involved in addressing such issues but stressed that true leadership requires emotional courage and the willingness to challenge divisive politics. She concluded by reflecting on her privilege as a secular Hindu to raise these concerns, urging Gandhi to act decisively for the sake of justice and secularism, even at the cost of temporary unpopularity.
