Congress workers stage protest outside Azamgarh Circuit House against the killing of Dalit sarpanch

Congress leader PL Punia along with other party workers on Thursday staged a protest outside the Azamgarh Circuit House over the killing of a Dalit sarpanch named Satyamev Jayate.

"The dictatorship of the Uttar Pradesh government and excesses by the police cannot stop the Congress Party from fighting for the Dalits. Even if Yogi ji will convert this Azamgarh Circuit House into a camp, we will continue to fight for the justice for the Dalit head," Punia tweeted.

Notably in the morning, Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu along with other party leaders were stopped by the police while they were on their way to meet the family of the deceased.

Dalit sarpanch, Satyamev Jayate aka Pappu Ram, was allegedly shot dead by three motorcycle-borne men last Friday in village Bansgaon in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. He was allegedly killed by an upper-caste man, as he had "advocated the cause of social justice".

As per the NCRB data, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a substantial increase of 47 per cent from the year 2014 to 2018 in the crimes committed against Dalits followed by 26 per cent in Gujarat, 15 per cent in Haryana, 14 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and 11 per cent in Maharashtra.

( With inputs from ANI )