Atrocities against Dalits, backward classes increased manifold in BJP-ruled states: Cong on Ghazipur case

The Congress on Tuesday hit out at the BJP after its delegation was stopped in Varanasi while it was heading to meet the family of the girl who was allegedly murdered in Ghazipur and demanded that cases should be registered against UP officials for ''violating'' their fundamental rights. The body of the 17-year-old girl, who belongs to the OBC community, was found in the Ganga in Karanda area of Ghazipur district on April 15, with her family alleging sexual assault and murder. Citing law and order concerns, the district administration on Sunday imposed prohibitory orders, banning all demonstrations and barring anyone from visiting the victim's village. The Congress' SC Department head, Rajendra Pal Gautam, said their delegation was stopped at Varanasi on Monday with the district magistrate citing Section 163 of BNSS (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger). He alleged that incidents of atrocities against Dalits and backward classes have increased manifold in BJP-ruled states. ''The situation has become such that if a leader or delegation of any political party goes to meet the victim's family, they are stopped. Even if the delegation manages to reach, the dominant caste people pelt stones at them. ''The most serious thing in such cases is that instead of taking action against the dominant caste people, the police takes action against the people going in the delegation,'' Gautam, flanked by party leaders Ajay Lallu and Ravi Verma, said at a press conference here. Gautam claimed that the police were keeping an eye on the Congress delegation as soon as it arrived at Delhi Airport. ''Then, as soon as we reached Varanasi, the police there stopped us. I want to ask -- the Congress party delegation was going to meet the victim's family, so why did the government deploy such heavy force? Are we criminals? Why did the UP police stop us from going to Ghazipur?'' Gautam said. ''We weren't even allowed to go to the Congress office in Varanasi; why? Why did the police officers take us to the station in a prisoners' van and detain us the entire day?'' he said. Elaborating on the Congress' demands, Gautam said cases should be registered against those police officers and the DM who ''violated our fundamental rights, stopped all of us from going to the Congress office, arrested us and took us to the police station in a prisoners' van''. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had on Saturday demanded a high-level investigation into the alleged rape and murder of the girl and sought immediate justice. Gandhi had also sought immediate action against guilty police officers and said the family of the deceased must get protection. Police have said a murder case has been registered, though the post-mortem report of the girl suggested drowning, and initial investigation has indicated a possible suicide angle, citing a prior relationship between the deceased and the main accused who has also been arrested. The Samajwadi Party announced on Friday that a delegation led by party president Akhilesh Yadav will visit the village and meet the girl's family on April 29. An SP delegation on April 22 came under stone-pelting when it came to the village to meet the victim's family, with party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleging that the BJP was behind it.

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