New Delhi, April 14: The Congress on Saturday demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath be sacked for "utterly failing in his constitutional duties as CM" and for "safeguarding the interests of Unnao rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar".

"BJP leaders have mastered the art of extending state protection to rapists, shaming the victim and her family, defending the accused and crying conspiracy, blatant cover-ups, absolute whataboutery and superficial damage Control, and the Adityanath government has perfected this art to the hilt," Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.

"'Jungle raaj' and 'gunda raaj' actively aided and abetted by Adityanath government has become a pain for the people of the state and has conclusively exposed BJP's slogan of 'Beti Bachao'," he added.

Citing a recent high court order, Surjewala said: "In a damning rebuke to the BJP's claims, the Allahabad High Court has unravelled the real truth of the Unnao rape case."

He said the high court was taken aback by the insensitive stand and callous attitude of the Advocate General, who represented the state government in court and received his brief from the highest levels. 

"Naari Virodhi (anti-woman) Adityanath has not only utterly failed in his constitutional duties as the Chief Minister and abused the oath of office but also played an important protagonist in safeguarding the interests of the rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar," he added.

Pointing out that the BJP rule in the state had become "Ravana Rajya" for women, Dalits and farmers, the party said there was a 33 per cent increase in crime against women in Uttar Pradesh -- from 33,728 cases in 2016-17 to 44,936 in 2017-18.

"The real culprit of Unnao's victim, who was raped reportedly in June 2017, and who pleaded at the doorstep of the BJP CM even attempting self-immolation is no one but the Chief Minister and he should immediately be sacked," said Surjewala.

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Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Tension gripped the Vijayapura area of Chikkamagaluru late Monday night following allegations of stone-pelting, triggering protests by members of two communities and heavy police deployment.

Allegations surfaced that some youths from a community had pelted stones at houses over the past week and harassed girls for the last three days, leading to outrage among local residents, police said.

According to police sources, two youths who were found moving in a suspicious manner were caught by activists of an organisation, beaten up and later handed over to the police. Soon after, hundreds of youths from both communities gathered in front of the Basavanahalli Police Station and the government hospital, creating a tense atmosphere.

While one group claimed they were not involved in stone-pelting, another group demanded strict action against those responsible for the attacks on houses and alleged harassment.

Police, who were alerted in advance, rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd.

Authorities said they struggled for some time before bringing the situation under control. Tight security was in place across the city.

Meanwhile, the two injured youths are undergoing treatment at the government hospital.