The Shiv Sena on Saturday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the Hathras gang rape incident, saying that “jungle raj” prevails in Uttar Pradesh even as the foundation stone for a Ram temple has been laid in the State at Ayodhya.
The Sena, which is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, alleged that the recent incidents of atrocities against women in U.P. have failed to move the government in that State as well as the Centre.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But there is no ‘Ram rajya’ (ideal governance) in Uttar Pradesh. ‘Jungle raj’ prevails in U.P. in terms of the law and order situation,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana.
“Atrocities against women continue to happen and the incidents of rape and murder of young women are on the rise in that State,” it said.
“A 19-year-old woman in Hathras was raped and murdered, which triggered an outrage across the country. In her dying declaration, the victim said that she had been raped. But the U.P. government now says that she was not raped. Soon after, an incident of gang rape also took place in U.P.’s Balrampur,” the editorial added.
“But despite all this, neither the rulers in Delhi nor the Yogi Adityanath government were moved. The government itself says that when there was no rape, why is the Opposition crying hoarse. But if the woman was not raped, why did the police cremate her in the dead of the night?” it asked.
“Earlier, when the U.P. government led by Akhilesh Yadav withdrew Yogi Adityanath’s security cover, the latter had cried in Parliament. Now he himself is the Chief Minister, but women in his State are not safe,” the party said.
The U.P. Police also stopped Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from visiting the grieving family in Hathras, it said. “Gandhi was caught by the collar and pushed to the ground. Humiliating a leader of a prominent political party in such a manner is a gang rape of democracy,” it said.
“The body of the Hathras victim was burnt by the police by pouring petrol on it. In which Hindu tradition does this inhuman act fit?” the editorial asked. “When two sadhus were lynched in Palghar [in Maharashtra in April this year], we saw the statements of Yogi Adityanath and the BJP blew the conch of Hindutva. But why is it silent now?” the Uddhav Thackeray-led party asked.
‘Lifeless and helpless’
The editorial said that BJP spokespersons went to town on TV channel debates in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. “But the same people are now saying that the Hathras victim was not gang raped. The victim’s dying declaration has no value!” it said. The Sena said the country has never been so “lifeless and helpless”.