The Congress on Monday criticised the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over the alleged killing of a Dalit woman in Meerut, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of fostering hatred on the basis of caste and religion and selective use of State power.
A Dalit woman was allegedly killed and her 20-year-old daughter abducted in a village in Meerut district last Thursday. The police said a 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the crime. The incident led to tension in the area, following which additional police forces were deployed. The abducted daughter was later traced to neighbouring Saharanpur district on Saturday, officials said.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Congress Scheduled Caste department chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that caste-based animosity and religion-based hostility was being encouraged under BJP rule.
“Hatred is being fuelled in the country on the basis of caste and religion, and this is happening under the patronage of BJP governments,” Mr. Gautam alleged.
The Congress leader accused the Uttar Pradesh administration of targeting Dalits, tribals and backward classes through what he described as the selective use of coercive measures.
Referring to the State government’s practice of demolishing properties of alleged offenders, he said such action appeared to be guided by caste and religious considerations. “When a Dalit is oppressed in the State, the bulldozer does not move,” he alleged.
Recounting the Meerut incident, the Congress leader said the woman was killed when she attempted to resist the abduction of her daughter. He also claimed that Congress party representatives were stopped from meeting the victim’s family.
“If the police showed the same diligence in preventing crime and ensuring punishment for the guilty, such incidents would not recur,” he said.
Mr. Gautam further alleged that if the accused belonged to a Dalit, tribal or backward community, action such as demolition would have followed swiftly. “The law should not operate on the basis of caste or religion. If it does, the country will weaken,” he said.
He also criticised the government for not releasing data on atrocities committed against Dalits after 2022, calling it a failure of governance.
Claiming that Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest number of cases of atrocities against Dalits in the past five years, he said that BJP-ruled States together contributed a majority of such cases nationally.
Questioning restrictions on protests, Mr. Gautam said the authorities had earlier denied permission for demonstrations citing procedural requirements. “If a rape or killing occurs, do we have to wait 10 days to demand justice?” he asked.
The Uttar Pradesh government has not yet responded to the Congress’s allegations.
Curated by Aisha Patel
