Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi tagged media reports alongside their tweets criticising the government, alleging that the BJP MLA, his son and supporters allegedly took away a man, who is accused of assaulting a woman from police custody, referring to it as the state dispensation 'Apradhi bachao' or 'save criminals' mission.
The Congress stepped up its attack on the UP government after the Hathras incident in which four men allegedly raped and assaulted a 19-year-old Dalit girl from the district.
Following the trending photo comparison 'how it started' vs 'hows it going' tweet, Rahul Gandhi tweeted "How it started: 'Beti bachao' (save daughters) vs ' How it's going: 'Apradhi bachao' (save criminals)'.
In a Hindi tweet, Priyanka Gandhi tagged a media article on the incident, "Can the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh tell you that this is happening under which 'mission'? Save Daughters or Save Criminals?". The UP government has been attacked by Congress over the issue of the alleged increase in crimes against women.
The government of Yogi Adityanath is fighting severe criticism for its handling of the Hathras case, particularly after the local police cremated the woman at night, allegedly without the permission of the family that led to angry protests across the country.
Officials said the cremation, however, was done "as per the wishes of the family". Later, the investigation was taken over by the CBI in this situation.
(Reported by Safa Maryam)