New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, condemned the killing of two Dalit girls in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday and launched a stinging attack on the BJP government there, saying that women's safety cannot be expected from people who release rapists from prison and respect them.

"Unsettling events include the daylight kidnapping and murder of two young Dalit sister

 in Lakhimpur. Women's safety cannot be anticipated from those who admire the rapists and secure their release "He stated in a Hindi tweet. The Congressman could be seen making reference to the Bilkis Bano episode, in which the Gujarati government released the 11 convicts who had been given life sentences on August 15.

As per Gujarat's remission policy in effect at the time of the case's conviction in 2008, all 11 life-term inmates were released.

Bano was allegedly gang-raped in March 2002 during the post-Godhra riots and left to die alongside 14 other family members, including her three-year-old daughter. When Vadodara rioters attacked her family, she was five months pregnant.

Rahul Gandhi emphasised the need to make the nation a safe place for women once more. In the tweet, he also said that "we must provide a safe environment in the nation for our sisters and girls."

Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), had earlier criticised the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh after the bodies of two young sisters from the Scheduled Caste community were discovered hanging from a tree in the Lakhimpur Kheri area.

The BSP leader denounced the incident on Twitter and claimed that criminals are allowed to roam in Uttar Pradesh because the administration has the wrong priorities.

In the meantime, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the general secretary of the Congress, expressed her sorrow at the occurrence on Wednesday, calling it "heart breaking."

Although they urged the opposition to "consolate the family instead of politicising the subject," Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and KP Maurya on Thursday promised harsh action against those responsible for the rape and murder of two Dalit girls in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri.

Sanjeev Suman, the superintendent of police in Lakhimpur Kheri, reported that six people had been detained in connection with the case: Chotu, Junaid, Sohail, Hafizul, Karimuddin, and Arif.

The suspect, Junaid, was shot in the leg during an encounter and revealed that the suspects were friends with the dead girls, the SP said.

"Sohail and Junaid yesterday abducted the girls after luring them to a field. Sohail, Hafizul, and Junaid murdered the girls after they demanded that the accused wed them. To get rid of any evidence, they then called Karimuddin and Arif and hanged the girls "Sanjeev Suman, SP, stated.

Suman claims that, with the exception of Chotu, every defendant was a native of the Lalpur hamlet in Lakhimpur Kheri. The two girls had met these lads through Chotu, who was also arrested, who was a neighbour of the girls.

He also said that this investigation was preliminary and the post-mortem will begin in around two to three hours.
The remains of two young sisters were discovered hanging from a tree on Wednesday night in the Lalpur Majra Tamoli Purva hamlet, which is under the jurisdiction of the Nighasan police station in the Lakhimpur Kheri district.

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