Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over the assault and molestation of a Dalit girl in Amethi, and warned that her party would launch a state-wide agitation if the accused were not arrested soon.
Priyanka’s remarks came after a video showing a 16-year-old Dalit girl being beaten up and molested in Amethi went viral on social media on Tuesday.
Attaching the video of the incident, the Congress leader tweeted, "If the criminals who committed this inhuman act are not nabbed within 24 hours, then the Congress will work to wake you up by vigorous agitation."
"This incident of ruthless thrashing of a Dalit girl in Amethi is condemnable. @MYOGIADITYANATH Sir on an average 34 crime incidents against Dalits take place every day under your rule and 135 against women, yet your law and order is sleeping," she further tweeted.
Meanwhile, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Amethi, Arpit Kapoor, said that one of the accused had been arrested while police teams had been formed to arrest the others.
Police had contacted the girl and based on her father's complaint, a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against accused Suraj Soni, Shivam and Sakal.
The police officer said that the survivor is a resident of a village in Sangrampur police station area of Amethi and the incident took place in Raipur Phulwari town.
Meanwhile, continuing her campaign to attract female voters for the revival of the Congress in the coming assembly polls, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday interacted with women and girls in her `Ladki Hoon-Lad Sakti Hoon’ program held at Girdhari Inter College in Sirsaganj, Firozabad.
To make a better rapport with the females in the area also known as `Suhag Nagri’ Priyanka visited the house of female labourers and interacted with them to share their sorrows and problems.
Interacting with the females who turned out in large numbers in the `Ladki Hoon-Lad Sakti Hoon’ (I am a girl and can fight) campaign, Priyanka answered their questions and promised a solution if the Congress government came to power.
She appealed to the women of the state to unite and try to change the politics.
Meanwhile, Sunil Shastri, son of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, is set to join the Congress and has met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
After the meeting, Priyanka tweeted the photo with Shastri and said, "What better occasion than the Congress Foundation Day to meet Sunil Shastri ji, son of a soldier of Congress and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, to discuss a range of issues. We will fight together and win."
Sunil Shastri has been with the Bharatiya Janata Party but his meeting indicates his inclination to join the Congress as the grand old party is searching for a political face in Mirzapur assembly constituency after the exit of Lalitesh Pati Tripathi.