New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- The Congress on Monday alleged that crimes and atrocities against Dalits in BJP-ruled states were on the rise, claiming that perpetrators were being protected and patronised by ruling governments, citing Uttar Pradesh as a glaring example.

Addressing a presser at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, party's SC Department chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh was indifferent and discriminatory against Dalits, backward classes and minorities.

Referring to a recent incident in Meerut district, Gautam said a Dalit girl was abducted and her mother brutally killed when she attempted to save her.

Gautam claimed that when he, along with party colleagues, t...