Crime against women in UP cause of concern for MHA: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Jun 4: Centre on Wednesday expressed concern over the incidents of

and

in

and asked the

government to "act promptly" to improve law and order situation in the state.

Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju also criticised the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for accusing the media of highlighting such cases occurring in UP while ignoring similar cases happening in other states.

He advised Yadav that "such shameful incidents should not be seen by numbers." "Any incidents happening in any part of the country is a concern for all of us.

The situation which we have seen and observed in the past few days...in fact over the past few years in UP is definitely a cause of concern for all of us especially the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"So we expect the Uttar Pradesh government will take prompt action on this kind of serious and heinous crimes being committed," Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament House.

He was reacting to a volley of questions related to series of incidents involving crime against women in Uttar Pradesh.

Asked whether the Centre will consider demand that President's rule should be imposed in the Samajwadi Party- ruled state, he said "the President's rule and all these issue are larger dimensions which I can not just comment on that".

In a strongly-worded message to the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Minister said that "the kind of situation which we see in Uttar Pradesh must be dealt by the state government."

"There is nothing that we can take suo motu action because we have to have faith on the state agencies. And the expectation on the part of the MHA is that the action must be prompt," he said.

When asked about Yadav's comment against media for highlighting cases occurring in UP, Rijiju said, "such shameful incidents should not be seen by numbers. Even one such incident shouldn't take place."

"Why can't such incidents be prevented?" the Minister asked.

Amid nation-wide outrage over the Badaun gangrape and murder incident, Yadav had said yesterday that "I have said this several times that incidents of the state are publicised more. Such incidents do not happen in UP alone".

PTI