Cong seeking to take forward Kathua, Unnao rape protest

Congress is seeking to take forward the protest against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases and has asked its cadres at State and district headquarters to stage similar demonstrations across the country, demanding justice for the victims.

Sources said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has asked party cadres to organise similar protests in support of protection of women. They said party general secretary (organisation) Ashok Gehlot has told all state Congress chiefs to galvanise the cadres in each state and stage candle-light marches at all state and district headquarters.

The Congress has upped the ante against the Govt over alleged inaction in the Kathua and Unnao rape cases. Rahul  Gandhi had led a midnight march to the India Gate in the national capital last night asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save and protect the girl child.

He 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.

The opposition party has also alleged that the accused were being “protected” by the authorities concerned.  AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi asked where the women Cabinet members of the Modi government.

 “Where is Sushma Swaraj? Where is Smriti Irani? Where are other prominent women leaders of the BJP who were sloganeering on Bahut Hua Nari Par War during the UPA? Now some of them are giving us homilies of not to politicize these things. Post such heinous crimes, some of their past tweets can be retweeted once again,” Singhvi said at Congress press briefing.

Signhvi shared a statement of Swaraj who had said “Delhi child rape case has shown that perversity and citizen is common to these criminals.”

“It is no exaggeration to state that in the past four years of Modi Government, Crime Against Women have increased to pathetic proportions. But more than statistics, the brazenness of the BJP has come out to the fore. Be it the Unnao Rape Case or the brutality to the 8 year old Asifa in Kathua or the recent rape of a 6 year old in Sasaram, Bihar - Every single crime has pointed fingers to active involvement of one single entity- The BJP,” the party said.

The party also demanded sacking of the two BJP Ministers- Forest Minister Lal Singh and Industries Minister, Chander Prakash Ganga, who instigated the protests in Jammu in support of the rapists.