Woman cries for Sonia's help; gets her hubby out of jail

The cries of a Dalit woman for the release of her husband arrested on the charge of illicit liquor brewing drew Sonia Gandhi's attention today during a tour of her Lok Sabha constituency.
     
The Congress chief objected to alleged frequent detentions of Dalits on "flimsy" charges of illicit liquor brewing in Sarai Digosa village and a police officer released the man, who was arrested on a similar charge.
     
Residents of the Scheduled Caste-dominated village under Sataon assembly segment, mobbed Gandhi complaining that police frequently pick up "innocent" villagers on charges of liquor brewing and extort money from them.
     
Chanda Pasi, whose husband Chhedi Passi was taken into custody in the morning on similar charges, started wailing when Gandhi was interacting with villagers.

A visibly upset Gandhi called the additional SP and officers in-charge and asked them why villagers were making such complaints. She said it was wrong if such things happened.
     
The ASP, who earlier argued that he was arrested for brewing illicit liquor, took the initiative to get the man freed. He even asked villagers to call him personally, if there was any such problem in future.
     
UPCC spokesperson Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who was accompanying Gandhi said, "This was a fit example of how innocent Dalits are being harassed under Mayawati's rule in Uttar Pradesh."