Party leaders also played a video recording of the lynching of a Dalit youth in Raebareli, who was beaten to death in front of the cameras
NEW DELHI — Citing a total collapse of law and order in Uttar Pradesh with atrocities on Dalits, women and Muslims increasing manifold, the Congress has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here on Monday, the Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Department of the Congress, Rajinder Pal Gautam, and Member of Parliament Imran Masood alleged that with the complete collapse of law and order in UP, criminals are having a free run with no fear of law.
The Congress leaders also played a video recording of the lynching of a Dalit youth in Raebareli, who was beaten to death in front of the cameras. When the victim mentioned Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, the attackers mocked him, they said.
Gautam sought Rs 1 crore each in compensation for the families of the victims of such incidents. Besides, he said, these cases should be tried in a fast-track court.
Gautam said that during the last ten years, there has been an alarming increase in the atrocities against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, with institutional discrimination having become the new normal. Quoting National Crime Records Bureau, he disclosed that in five BJP-ruled states, there has been an increase of 75 percent in cases of atrocities against Dalits, with Uttar Pradesh alone accounting for 26.2% of such incidents.
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Masood alleged that the Constitution of the country was under threat. He said that the Yogi government had completely failed on the issues of law and order and corruption. He added that crimes against Dalits, women and Muslims were on the rise.
The MP asserted that the Yogi government was blatantly violating the Supreme Court guidelines and continuing to carry out bulldozer action in the state. He said that it was not the rule of the law that is prevailing in the country, but the rule of the BJP’s ideology. He alleged that the BJP was patronising and protecting those who are spreading hatred and violence.
“What we have seen in Bareilly and other places is that the police are forcing Muslims to publicly tender apology after thrashing them mercilessly while on other hand it is treating the Hindutva miscreants with kid gloves as seen in Fatehpur and Muzaffarnagar,” the MP said.
He also alleged that he was virtually put under house arrest and barred from visiting violence-hit Bareilly.
The Congress leaders disclosed that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke to the victim’s family over phone. Besides, Amethi MP KL Sharma and PCC president Ajay Rai visited the family. The Congress will soon constitute a fact-finding team to look into such incidents and will also release a report.
