‘Beti Bachao’ was not merely a slogan but a warning; the situation facing daughters is now before everyone, says Congress leader
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ has strongly criticised the BJP government over alleged incidents of crime against women and minor girls across the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Mishra alleged that Uttar Pradesh has become increasingly unsafe for daughters under the BJP government. She referred to several recent cases involving allegations of rape, gang rape, kidnapping and violence against minor girls in different districts.
“‘Beti Bachao’ was not merely a slogan but a warning. The violence against daughters is now before everyone,” Mishra said.
According to the Congress statement, incidents involving minor girls have recently been reported from Bulandshahr, Basti, Banda, Sonbhadra, Kaushambi, Lalitpur, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Meerut, Prayagraj and Lucknow. The cases cited include allegations of gang rape, kidnapping and rape, as well as the death of a 14-year-old rape survivor during childbirth.
Congress raises questions over crime statistics
Mishra also cited crime figures and questioned the law-and-order situation in the state. According to the figures referred to in her statement, 66,381 cases of crimes against women were registered in Uttar Pradesh during the cited period, averaging around 182 cases a day.
She also referred to 3,516 rape cases, 3,206 murder cases and 31 acid-attack cases, and said the figures raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the state’s law-and-order machinery.
“The question is not limited to individual incidents; it is about the entire system,” Mishra said, asking why the government had not taken more effective measures to ensure the safety of girls travelling to and from schools and other public places.
Mishra refers to Supreme Court observations
The Congress state president also referred to observations reportedly made by the Supreme Court on September 30, 2026, concerning the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh Police in a criminal case.
Mishra alleged that despite criticism from the judiciary, there has been no visible improvement in the situation.
She said that a government which cannot ensure the safety of daughters at schools, on roads and at home would face the public’s verdict.
“Daughters do not want to live in fear. They want to live with dignity and security,” Mishra said.
She further said that the people of Uttar Pradesh were asking:
“The government that brought Uttar Pradesh to this state—why should it be given another five years?”
Times of Taj Disclaimer: This report is based on a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. Allegations, claims and statistics mentioned in the statement have been presented as claims of the concerned political party and have not been independently verified by Times of Taj.