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Updated: May 12, 2020 20:08 IST

With the country gearing up for the sixth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the ‘award-wapsi’ gang has shied away from standing up for the Dalit woman who was raped in Alwar last month.

“I want to ask the ‘award-wapasi’ gang why they are silent on the rape of Alwar’s daughter. The Congress too has not taken up the issue,” PM Modi said. The prime minister was speaking at an election rally in Ghazipur of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Ghazipur goes to polls in the 6th phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a dig at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PM Modi said both the state government and the Rajasthan police were busy covering up the incident in an obvious attempt to deflect attention from the law and order situation in the state.

WATCH: ‘Why’s award-wapsi gang silent?’ asks PM Modi over Alwar gang-rape case

In 2015, a section of filmmakers, authors, poets and artists had returned their national awards accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of suppressing criticism and fanning religious tension.

On Saturday in Ghazipur, PM Modi referred to the section of intellectuals who had a few years earlier returned their awards in protest against the growing atmosphere of intolerance in the country. He questioned their silence and asked why they were not taking up the issue of the gang rape of the Dalit woman in Alwar.

The 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang raped in front of her husband by five men who waylaid the couple and beat up the husband before raping the woman. The incident occurred on April 26. The men also filmed the crime and later circulated it on social media.

The victim’s family has said the local police did not register a case for days although a complaint had been lodged on April 29. An FIR was finally registered on May 2 under the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.