The Uttar Pradesh police registered a case against Congress leader Udit Raj on Saturday, 20 February for his tweet over the death of two girls in Unnao. According to a report by NDTV, the cops alleged that the Congress leader propagated fake news that the teenagers were raped and their bodies cremated against the will of their family.
Quoting Superintendent of Police (SP), Anand Kulkarni, the report said that the post was an attempt to create anger through “misleading” rumours.
The post-mortem report did not confirm rape and the families had themselves cremated the bodies without any pressure, the SP said, adding that through the tweet, an effort was made to propagate concocted and fake news.
Two Dalit girls, aged 13 and 16, were found dead on their family’s field in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district on Wednesday, 17 February. Another 17-year-old Dalit girl was found at the same spot in a critical condition.
When contacted by NDTV, Udit Raj claimed that he had tweeted on the issue after talking to MP Savitri Bai Phule who had gone there. “I have also given reference of Phule in the tweet,” he said.
In Uttar Pradesh, cases are being lodged against all those raising their voices, he further alleged. In Hathras, when “officials had spread the rumour”, no action was taken but “we are standing with the truth and no one can suppress our voice”.
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