Atrocities on Dalits increasing under BSP regime in UP: Cong

Lucknow, Jan 25 (PTI) Accusing the ruling BSP governmentin Uttar Pradesh of cheating Dalits, the Congress todayalleged that their maximum exploitation and harassment wasdone during the party regime.

"Number of cases of harassment of Dalits and women andatrocities on them are increasing in UP," senior Congressleader and chairman of National Commission for Schedule CasteP L Punia told a Dalit convention here.

Referring to the Banda rape case where a Dalit girl wasraped allegedly by a BSP MLA and some other incidents, Puniaalleged that instead of providing security to Dalits, the BSPgovernment was shielding the culprits.

"The Commission will not keep mum in such cases andensure justice to the people by taking suo motto cognisance,"he said.

He alleged that the BSP government was committing laxityin implementing Central schemes launched for the upliftment ofDalits.

"Dalits are feeling cheated by the BSP government andthis is evident from their increasing participation in Dalitconventions being organised by the Congress," he said.

"Dalits are being exploited most in the BSP regime whichclaims to be their leader," UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshialleged while inaugurating the convention.

She also alleged that BSP MLAs and ministers wereinvolved in corruption and the government machinery wasfunctioning in an arbitrary manner on their directives, whileall the sections of society were facing hardship.