'Jungle Raj in UP': Rahul, Priyanka, Sonia lash out at Yogi govt

The Congress leadership has stepped up its offensive against the Yogi Adityanath government over its handling of the death of a young dalit woman, who died on Tuesday from injuries sustained after being gang-raped in Hathras district.

The Hathras victim's family accused the Yogi Adityanath government of forcibly cremating her in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Thursday that "persecution of daughters was continuing in the jungle raj of UP". Alluding to the Hathras gang-rape incident, Rahul alleged the victim received no honour when alive and "her dignity was taken away in her final rites". Rahul alleged the BJP's motto was not 'Beti Bacchao', but "hide the truth, save power".

In a tweet on Thursday, Rahul's sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, referred to the gang-rape and murder of another young dalit woman in Balrampur district on Tuesday. Priyanka had led calls for Yogi Adityanath to resign on Wednesday after news of the cremation of the Hathras victim emerged.

Priyanka tweeted about the torture suffered by the Balrampur victim and added "daughters were being punished in Azamgarh, Bagpath and Bulandshahr". Priyanka alleged "There is no end to the jungle raj prevailing in UP." She added "law and order does not run by marketing and speeches". Priyanka declared, "this was a time for accountability from the chief minister".

Sonia video statement

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi issued a video statement on Wednesday, in which she declared the Hathras gang-rape victim was "killed by a ruthless government", its administration and its ignorance.

Sonia said crores of people were sad and angry and the “demoniac behaviour that Hathras' daughter had to suffer is a blot on our society".

Asking whether it was a crime to be a poor person's daughter, Sonia questioned the Yogi Adityanath government in the state as to why "the cry for justice" of the victim's family was not heard for weeks.

"There was an attempt to hush up the matter. The girl was not given timely treatment and a daughter is no more amongst us. I want to say that Hathras's Nirbhaya has not died; she has been killed—by a ruthless government, by its administration and by the UP government's ignorance," the Congress chief said.

"When she was alive, she was not heard, she was not protected, and after her death she was also deprived of her home's soil. She was not handed over to her family, and a crying mother was not even given the chance to bid final adieu to her daughter. This is a big sin," Sonia said.

Sonia alleged that the woman's body was cremated "forcibly".

Even in death, there is a person's dignity and the Hindu religion talks about that as well, she said.

"But that girl was cremated like orphans by using the force of the police. What kind of justice is this, what kind of a government is this. You think that you can do anything and the country will just keep looking. No, the country will speak out against your injustice," Sonia said.