Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Aradhana Mishra Mona has accused the BJP government of failing to ensure the safety of women and girls, citing a series of alleged sexual assault cases involving minors reported across the state.
In a statement, Mishra said Uttar Pradesh had become increasingly unsafe for girls under the BJP government. She alleged that incidents involving school-going girls, including cases of abduction, sexual assault and deaths linked to pregnancies, reflected a serious failure of governance. Referring to the BJP’s “Beti Bachao” slogan, she said the situation had exposed the gap between the government’s promises and the reality faced by girls.
She listed 12 reported cases from districts including Bulandshahr, Basti, Banda, Sonbhadra, Kaushambi, Lalitpur, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Meerut, Prayagraj and Lucknow. The cases included allegations of sexual assault involving minors, as well as the death of a 14-year-old survivor during childbirth in Sonbhadra.
Mishra also cited figures stating that Uttar Pradesh recorded 66,381 cases of crimes against women in a year, averaging around 182 cases daily. She referred to 3,516 registered rape cases, 3,206 murders and 31 acid attacks during the same period.
Referring to a Supreme Court hearing on September 30, she said the court had expressed strong displeasure over the Uttar Pradesh Police’s handling of a criminal investigation. She alleged that repeated criticism of the state’s law-and-order machinery had failed to bring meaningful change.
Questioning the government’s response, Mishra asked how girls could be expected to feel safe when even young children and school students were allegedly being targeted. She said a government unable to ensure safety on roads, in schools and at home would face public opposition.
“Girls want to live with dignity and security, not fear,” she said, calling for accountability over women’s safety in the state.
