Uttar Pradesh: Etah police refute claims that Shakyas attacked a wedding procession of Jatavs, clarify it was Jatavs who attacked Shakya engagement ceremony over DJ music

Responding to a viral video alleging a caste-based assault on a Dalit wedding procession in Etah in Uttar Pradesh, the Etah Police has issued a detailed clarification, labelling the claims as misleading and potentially inflammatory. While several social media users claimed that the wedding procession of Jatav community was attacked by people from the Shakya community, the police clarified that it was the Jatav people who attacked an event of the Shakya people.

Notably, Jatav’s belong to the Scheduled Caste in Uttar Pradesh, while the Shakya community is listed as OBC.

The police assert that the incident, which occurred in the Sakit police station area, was not a one-sided attack but a confrontation triggered by an unprovoked attack by Dalits on OBCs.

The controversy erupted after several users posted a video on the social media platform X, featuring a woman from the Jatav claiming that members of the Shakya community halted their wedding baraat, hurled casteist slurs, and physically assaulted participants. The video quickly gained traction, sparking concerns over casteist tensions in the region.

Countering this narrative, Etah Police posted a clarification on X, stating that the Jatav wedding procession proceeded to its destination without any hindrance. However, en route, a Shakya family’s engagement ceremony was in progress, where people were celebrating, and DJ music was playing.

According to the police, some individuals from the Jatav group allegedly entered the Shakya venue uninvited, engaged in abusive behaviour, and assaulted people at the event, resulting in injuries to two Shakya boys. The incident took place under Sakit Police station on the night between 10 and 11 February.

The woman making the claim of attack in the viral video was identified as the wife of one of the accused from the Jatav side. “Legal action is being taken in the matter,” the police statement read.

Further clarifying the issue, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shwetabh Pandey released a video statement on X, refuting the misleading footage. He said that when police investigated the incident after getting information about the incident, it was found that when people at the engagement party of the Shakya family were dancing to DJ music, people from the Jatav’s family’s wedding procession, which was already over, entered the venue and asked to stop the music. This led to a clash between the two sides, and some people were injured. The Shakya family filed a complaint after the incident.

The ASP clarified that the Jatav wedding procession was not attacked, and the claims of the attack are misleading and wrong.

As per the police, the video of the woman making allegations of an attack on the barat was made after the incident, in an attempt to divert the blame to the Shakya community. It is being speculated that the accused attempted to file case against the Shakya community under the SC/ST Act, but timely action by the police exposed the truth and prevented another misuse of the law.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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