Sonbhadra massacre witness appointed district Congress chief

Ramraj, appointed president of Sonbhadra district Congress, is said to be a witness in the July 17 killings. With his appointment, the party hopes to make inroads into the tribal areas of Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts.

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The 32-year-old graduate from Sant Kinaram College was in touch with AICC general secretary in charge of UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s team before and after her visit to Sonbhadra. Priyanka had visited Umbha in August, a month after she was prevented from going there by the local administration.

After Priyanka’s visit to the village, Ramraj along with the lawyer who representing the tribal victim families in court met her in New Delhi once.

While his father, Bahadur Goud, is secretary of Ghorawal block Congress committee, Ramraj was not actively involved in politics earlier. “He came into limelight after the July 17 killings. He took the lead in taking the injured to the hospital, filing cases, and later coordinated Priyanka’s visit,” a senior Congress leader said.

Ramraj told The Indian Express: “I never thought the Congress would make me the district president. I knew the party will give me some responsibility…after Didi (Priyanka) came to our village, met all of us…. I was fighting the cases from the beginning, when the land was registered, because there are not many educated people in my village.”

Ramraj, accused in three cases filed by the village head, the main accused in the case, said that “all those cases have now been closed”.

“There is no one to fight for the tribals. I will now speak for all those who are oppressed, and not just tribals,” Ramraj said.