Day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi led a candlelight vigil at India Gate to seek justice for victims of Kathua and Unnao rape cases, party leaders across the country will tonight hold candlelight marches in all the state capitals.
Day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi led a candlelight vigil at India Gate to seek justice for victims of Kathua and Unnao rape cases, party leaders across the country will tonight hold candlelight marches in all the state capitals.
Sources said on the instructions of Congress chief, all the party members will hold candlelight march at different parts of the country to protest against the cases of crimes against women
Congress General Secretary and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has briefed all the state unit chiefs and has asked them to raise the issue of atrocities against women during the marches.
Gandhi led a midnight march to India Gate yesterday to protest the Kathua and Unnao minor rape cases and said it was time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the talk on 'beti bachao' (save the girl child).
Mr Gandhi was joined by his sister Priyanka, her husband Robert Vadra and scores of Congress leaders, party workers and others, some carrying candles and placards against the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir while demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of the two incidents.
Gandhi, amid slogans against the BJP and the prime minister during the march last night, had claimed that the women of the country are afraid to go out and the government must ensure their safety.
He said Modi's silence over the rising atrocities against women was "unacceptable" and that India was waiting for him to speak up.
The Congress has upped the ante against the government over alleged inaction in the Kathua and Unnao rape cases.
In Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, an eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community disappeared near her house on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area.
A Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destroying evidence.
The chargesheet in the case had revealed chilling details about how she was allegedly kidnapped, drugged, raped inside a place of worship before being killed.
In Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, a teen alleged that she was raped by ruling BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was detained for questioning early today. She alleged she was raped by the MLA at his residence on June 4, 2017 where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.
After filing of the case, her father was booked by the police under the arms act on April 3 this year and put in jail on April 5.
Frustrated with the alleged inaction and coercion from powerful people, the victim attempted self immolation in front of Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath's residence on April 8. The next day, her father died in jail with post- mortem suggesting serious injuries on his body.
The opposition party has also alleged that the accused were being "protected" by the authorities concerned.
(With PTI inputs)
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 "Congress President Rahul Gandhi takes part in a midnight candlelight vigil at India Gate")
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