Maha Cong's Nitin Raut demands Prez rule in 'lawless' UP

Raut, in the memorandum, claimed crimes against Dalits and women, rape and murder had increased manifold, adding "the pogrom against Dalits, women and minorities was well chalked out as an agenda of the fascist BJP rule in UP". He said crimes against women increased in UP by over 67 percent in four years, while incidents of rape were creating fear among women.

Maharashtra power minister and chief of the All India Congress Committee's SC department Nitin Raut on Monday demanded President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh alleging complete breakdown of law and order there and submitted a memorandum on it to the northern state's governor Anandiben Patel. Raut, in the memorandum, claimed crimes against Dalits and women, rape and murder had increased manifold, adding "the pogrom against Dalits, women and minorities was well chalked out as an agenda of the fascist BJP rule in UP".

He said crimes against women increased in UP by over 67 percent in four years, while incidents of rape were creating fear among women. He also faulted agencies there for lack of timely and scientific probe into crimes against women and those from Scheduled Caste communities, adding that many a times cases were not being registered.

Raut said people from SC communities were being garlanded with footwear, paraded naked, denied use of space for last rites, socially boycotted in UP and many of their lands were being encroached. He said rape cases were reported in places like Balrampur, Bulandshahr and Azamgarh in UP after the Hathras incident, which hit the headlines worldwide.

"Hence President's Rule was needed to ensure the rule of law and for the peaceful existence of the society in the larger national interest," the memorandum stated..