Reacting to the alleged gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl in Karnataka's Belagavi, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticised the Congress-led state government, saying, "They're focused on internal tussles over leadership than governance." He added, "Such heinous crimes continue to rise under Congress rule." He also questioned Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's silence on atrocities in Congress-ruled states.