Otherwise too it is futile to expect a decent behaviour from a person who utterly lacks human sensitivity and concern for the safety of the women. A look at his rule since 2017, after ne rode to power, makes it clear that respect and dignity of women do not have any relevance for him. His political and religious upbringing would testify that a saffronite is immune to such sensibilities. It is on record that cases of rape and atrocities against women have multiplied in UP after Yogi taking charge of the state.

Yogi must not have seen international conspiracy and foreign hand behind this ghastly episode if he was sure of continuing in the chair. With coming under tremendous attack, the BJP leadership was contemplating to elevate his junior to occupy his position. This step was certainly not meant to boost the functioning of the state administration and punish the guilty. It was purely meant to deflect the attention of the people. After revelation that the body of the Valimiki girl was cremated in the night, Modi has also come under attack for patronising and protecting criminals. It was to save his skin Modi agreed to sacrifice Yogi. In this backdrop Yogi had no other way out but to put the blame on communal and foreign conspirators, the best protective mechanism of the BJP.

The UP government has blamed political parties and civil society organisations for attempting to create a caste divide in the aftermath of the crime in September. This allegation puts Yogi and his government under public scrutiny. If he was aware of the plot, why did not he act? Does it imply that the parents and family members of the deceased girl planned to create caste divide? Why is Yogi reluctant to name the person or the organisation who is involved? Or, is it a ploy to implicate the social activists and politicians in false cases, as Yogi and his police have dubious distinction of being masters of the game.

Yogi must realise, enough is enough. India or UP are not his personal property. History is ruthless and he must take lessons from it. It has not pardoned the culprits. The affidavit filed by Yogi’s government blames the “vicious propaganda” unleashed on social media and by certain sections of print and electronic media and some political parties to deliberately mislead the public and to create caste and communal disharmony in the state.

It is in knowledge of the countrymen that print and electronic have become maids of the Modi government and they do not raise any sensitive issue. Even they report incidents which have potential to embarrass the BJP leaders and its government. In this backdrop the charge of their indulging in propaganda is simply a mechanism to pass the buck.

It is a matter of serious concern that in recent months crimes against the Dalits have multiplied. According to the latest NCRB report, there were nearly 46,000 crimes against scheduled caste members in 2019, up by 7 per cent from 2018. Nine states accounted for 84 per cent of these crimes, although they have 54 per cent of the Dalit population. Uttar Pradesh is highest in absolute numbers 11,829. Madhya Pradesh leads in the rape of tribal women,

The complicity of the dominant sections of society with the political regime is reflected in the fact that cases under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have a pendency rate of 94 per cent. But that is hardly surprising: the government’s casualness manifests itself most clearly in the lack of chairpersons in the three national commissions — of scheduled castes, of scheduled tribes and of safai karamcharis — for months now. The Uttar Pradesh Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has had no chairperson since November 2019.

The Yogi government is in tight situation is also manifest from its request to the Supreme Court in its affidavit to order a court-monitored probe by the CBI into the gang-rape case, which has triggered protests across the country. Significantly after a week of the crime the Uttar Pradesh government for the first time confessed before the apex court on Monday that the body of the 19-year-old woman from Hathras was cremated at night to avoid law and order problems. It is simply a white lie. It is an attempt to white wash the crime of the UP police.

While the state police and district officials threatened the parents of the victim not to open their mouth, in the affidavit the government claimed: “The district administration took the decision to convince the parents of the victim to cremate her with all religious rites at night to avoid large scale violence in the morning. Once the post mortem of the deceased victim was already conducted at Safdurjung hospital, New Delhi, there cannot be any bad intention on the part of anyone to expedite the cremation except to obviate the political violent situation resulting from planned caste divide by certain vested interests”.

The state government did not intend to have free and fair investigation for reaching the truth. From the beginning it tried its best to protect the culprits which was why it did not caution the Rajput lords to hold panchayat meetings and demand exoneration of the rapists and killers.

The fact of the matter is Hathras incident where a Dalit girl was allegedly raped and brutally murdered and the subsequent high-handed handling of the situation by Uttar Pradesh police and government, points to some disturbing issues. The manner the issue is being handled raises the suspicion that a move is on to dilute the case and protect the perpetrators of the ghastly crime.

It is important that apex court has described the Hathras case as “extraordinary” and “shocking and has asked the UP government to file a response on its witness protection plan and whether the family of the victim had access to a lawyer. The political importance of getting reprieve for Yogi could be understood from the simple fact that he had hired a PR agency to do the job of image makeover for him. This PR move was likely prompted by the fact that the rape victim’s death hit the headlines in several international papers, including the New York Times and the Guardian. (IPA Service)