Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi slam Uttar Pradesh govt over poll violence

New Delhi, July 10: The Congress on Saturday slammed the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over incidents of alleged violence and misbehaviour with women during the filing of nominations for block panchayats chiefs, with party leader Rahul Gandhi saying that violence has been renamed "masterstroke" in the state.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the BJP had "crossed" all limits to stop the nomination of a woman in the polls.

"A few years ago, a rape victim raised her voice against a BJP MLA and an attempt was made to kill her and her family. Today, the BJP crossed all limits to stop the nomination of a woman. Same government. Same behaviour," she said in a tweet in Hindi and also tagged a video purportedly showing a woman being stopped from filing her nomination in the polls.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet in Hindi, said that in Uttar Pradesh, violence has been renamed "masterstroke". The brother-in-law of a block development committee member was killed in Bahraich as he resisted an alleged attempt to abduct his relative by a BJP candidate's husband and supporters ahead of the polls for the block panchayat head.

In another incident in Lakhimpur Kheri, a Samajwadi Party candidate was allegedly manhandled by BJP workers, after which six policemen were suspended with the administration ordering a magisterial probe.

A woman BDC member's saree was also pulled in front of police officers, alleged the Congress and sought an apology from the state government.