Crimes against women rising in UP, dismiss Yogi govt: Congress to Modi govt

Claiming that Uttar Pradesh is among the states with high rate of crime against women, the Congress on Wednesday demanded that the Centre dismiss the Yogi Adityanath government to send a strong message to criminals who feel "emboldened" with its backing.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said after the alleged rape and death of a Dalit woman in Hathras, there have been many more incidents of crime against women, including the acid attack on three young girls in Gonda and the murder of two sants in Aligarh.

He alleged that it seems that the BJP's Uttar Pradesh government was standing in support of criminals and that is the reason that has emboldened criminals in the state.

"It seems that criminals are not fearing the government. NCRB data shows that Uttar Pradesh has seen nearly 60,000 cases of crime against women. Uttar Pradesh tops the category of crime against women as per NCRB data for 2019 and is also the number two state as far as rape and murder cases are concerned," he told reporters.

"What is the Centre doing, what is the Ministry of Home Affairs doing.... Their eyes and ears are closed to the crimes we get to know everyday, so many crimes against women, small girls getting raped and acid attacks happening. A strong message needs to be given to criminals in UP that there will no longer be blessing on them and that message will go if the government of Uttar Pradesh is dismissed immediately. Otherwise, Uttar Pradesh is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, people do not feel safe at all, especially women," he also said.

Khera alleged that there have been a rise in cases of rape and murder, acid attack, domestic violence in Uttar Pradesh, besides kidnapping and abduction of women in which the state is again on the top of the chart.

He alleged that it is a matter of grave concern that criminals "feel emboldened in UP, because they feel they have the blessing, the active support of the government which can be seen by all of us".

There can't be anything more dangerous, more scary for the common citizen of UP that the democratically elected government is standing with the criminals and is also indulging in "a very-very petty level of character assassination of the victim and indulging in victim shaming".

He said the nation was just recovering from what happened in Hathras when the acid attack in Gonda took place.

"Where is the law and order," Khera asked.

"One prima facie reason for this is that for the first time a government is seen standing in favour of criminals. This is a matter of grave concern that criminals feel emboldened in Uttar Pradesh because they see the support of the government with them. There can't be anything more dangerous for the citizens of UP that the elected government is standing with the criminals," he alleged.

Three minor sisters suffered burn injuries in an alleged acid attack by a man when they were sleeping on the terrace of their house in Paksa village in this district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.

"Where do criminals derive their courage? NCRB for 2019 has come out with very disturbing and almost shocking data with regard to crime against women. UP is found to be on top. Uttar Pradesh is leading in the category of almost all crimes against women. Ruling dispensation is coming to the rescue of criminals. The citizens have lost faith in the government as also its intention to protect them," the Congress leader said.

Later at another briefing, Khera said there has been another incident of rape in Hathras on a five-year-old girl.

"We ask where do these criminals derive their confidence from. Why are they so assured that there is a political blessing assured for them in Uttar Pradesh. People have stopped trusting this government. We have witnessed crimes. We have witnessed crimes in different states but this is an unprecedented situation where people have lost confidence not just in the ability of the government but also in the intentions of the government. People no longer feel secure under the government of Adityanath ji in Uttar Pradesh," he said.