Congress slams BJP over Ghazipur rape-murder, raises Dalit safety concerns

At a briefing at the All India Congress Committee office in New Delhi, Rajendra Pal Gautam (chairman of the party’s SC department) and other Congress leaders criticized the BJP-led government, alleging a rise in atrocities against Dalits, OBCs, and women across BJP-ruled states. Gautam claimed an undeclared emergency was imposed at the Centre's direction and said the government is using power to crush marginalized communities. Lallu and Verma questioned the government’s motives and the state of the rule of law, citing violence in Madhya Pradesh where a 23-year-old Dalit groom was dragged off a horse during his pre-wedding procession.

A day before the party briefing, police stopped Rajendra Pal Gautam, Ajay Kumar Lallu, and Ravi Verma at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Babatpur, Varanasi, while the Congress delegation was on its way to meet the Ghazipur victim’s family.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded a high-level investigation into the Ghazipur rape-murder case in a post on X, stating, 'In a country and state where parents have to beg even to get an FIR filed for their daughter, the country’s government has no moral right to remain in power.'

A teenage girl's body was found in the Karanda area of Ghazipur district on April 15, with her family alleging sexual assault and murder. Prohibitory orders under the BNSS were issued in Ghazipur following the death.