New Delhi, Jan 12 (UNI) The Congress on Monday alleged that crimes and atrocities against Dalits in BJP-ruled states were on the rise, claiming that perpetrators were being protected and patronised by ruling governments, citing Uttar Pradesh as a glaring example.
Addressing a presser at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, party’s SC Department chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh was indifferent and discriminatory against Dalits, backward classes and minorities.
Referring to a recent incident in Meerut district, Gautam said a Dalit girl was abducted and her mother brutally killed when she attempted to save her.
Gautam claimed that when he, along with party colleagues, tried to meet the affected family, they were stopped by the local administration and police. “The entire area was converted into a police cantonment to prevent us from meeting the victims’ family. Had the UP government shown this kind of resolve against criminals, there would not have been so many atrocities against Dalits in the state,” he said.
Training his guns on the Yogi government’s much-publicised crackdown on crime, Gautam alleged selective action based on caste identity. “When the accused belongs to Dalit or minority communities, bulldozers are immediately rolled out. But when the culprits are from upper castes and the victims are Dalits or minorities, no such action is taken.
Yogi’s bulldozers rust when the crime is against Dalits, he remarked.
The Congress leader also accused the union government of treating crimes against Dalits lightly, alleging that official data on atrocities had not been made public since 2022. “This lack of transparency itself shows the seriousness — or rather the lack of it—with which the issue is being handled,” he said.
Gautam stressed that atrocities against Dalits could be effectively curbed only through time-bound investigation, speedy trials and strict punishment of the guilty. “Justice delayed is justice denied, especially for the most vulnerable sections of society,” he added.
He further criticised the Delhi Police for denying permission to the Congress to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar against the Meerut incident. Gautam said he was told that permission must be sought at least ten days in advance. “How can anyone predict a rape or a murder ten days earlier and then apply for permission to protest against it?” he asked, calling the restriction unreasonable and insensitive.
The Congress said it would continue to raise the issue both on the streets and in Parliament, demanding accountability from BJP governments and concrete measures to ensure the safety and dignity of Dalits.
