Hundreds of people gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Friday to protest against the Uttar Pradesh government and state police's handling of the Hathras gangrape and murder case, and accused the authorities of "not doing enough" to stop violence against women in the state.
The state police faced massive flak after the victim's family alleged that they were held prisoners within their own home as cops snatched away their mobile phones and imposed restriction on their movement so as to prevent them from speaking to the media or the Opposition leaders.
The state police was also under fire for cremating the victim's body in the middle of the night, allegedly without the consent or the participation of her family.
The protesters included Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, senior lawyer Prashant Bhusan, actor Swara Bhasker, CPM leaders Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechury, and AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi.
Other political leaders like CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mevani, activist Yogendra Yadav, and Congress' Sushmita Dev were also present at the protest.
Security has been beefed up at the Jantar Mantar, with ground force personnel, senior police officers, and paramilitary personnel being deployed to manage the crowd. The protest site has been barricaded to restrict the movement of agitators, PTI reported.
The Hathras gangrape, and the subsequent handling of the case by state authorities, has caused nationwide outrage after the 19-year-old Dalit girl succumbed to her injuries in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday. She was raped and fatally wounded by four upper caste men in the Hathras district of the state on 14 September.
The victim reportedly suffered multiple fractures, paralysis, and a spinal injury after the assault. Reports also quoted the police as saying that there was a wound in her tongue because she had bitten on it while being strangled.
Friday's protest was initially to be held at India Gate but had to be shifted to Jantar Mantar after the Delhi Police imposed restrictions on crowds at India Gate. At least 500 people attended the protest, despite the police granting permission only for 100, NDTV reported.
Protesters, Opposition demand Yogi Adityanath's resignation
Addressing those gathered at the protest, Kejriwal said, "We have assembled here in grief. I pray to God that our daughter's soul gets peace. I request the Uttar Pradesh government with folded hands, hang the guilty as soon as possible. They should get such a punishment that no one will dare commit a crime like this again."
"The entire country wants that the culprits should be given stringent punishment. Some people feel that attempts are being made to save them. At this time, the victim's family needs all the possible help.
"There should be no politics on this issue. Why should such an incident happen in UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mumbai or Delhi? No rape incidents should happen in the country," Kejriwal added.
Yechury, who was also in attendance at the protest which went on till late on Friday evening, was quoted by NDTV as saying that the Yogi Adityanath government "had no right" to stay in power in Uttar Pradesh.
Demanding justice for the victim and her family, he added, "The silence of the central government and the top leadership of the BJP on such a heinous crime and the Uttar Pradesh government's response thereafter speak volumes about the authoritarian and anti-democratic chehra, chaal, charitra, and chintan of the ruling party."
Bhim Army chief Azad said that the protests will continue till Adityanath resigns as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
Addressing the crowd, he said, "I will visit Hathras. Our struggle will continue till the Uttar Pradesh chief minister doesn't resign, and justice is served. I urge SC to take cognizance of the incident."
He was also quoted by The Indian Express as saying, "The police burnt her (victim's) with petrol even though the family did not give permission. She was burnt like garbage. They have no right to do that."
Bhushan claimed that there was a "goonda raj" in the state.
"What is happening in Uttar Pradesh is goonda raj. The police have surrounded the village, are not allowing opposition leaders and mediapersons to enter it. They have taken away the mobile phones of the family members of the victim," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who had attempted to visit the victim's family in Hathras on Thursday, attended a prayer meeting at the Valmiki temple in Delhi on Friday.
"We will ensure justice for our sister. We won't sit quietly till she does not get justice," she was quoted by reports as saying, while addressing a crowd of Congress supporters and other protesters.
"The government did not help at all. Her family is feeling helpless. We will put political pressure on the government. She wasn't even given a cremation following Hindu customs," she added.
"Each and every woman of this country should raise her voice against what has happened to the woman in Hathras. It was wrong to do so without the consent of the family. We need to put pressure on the government to ensure justice for the young Dalit woman. Our country does not have a tradition where the father, brother and the family of the victim are not allowed to light the pyre," The Indian Express quoted her as saying.
Atishi referred to the delayed medical treatment for the victim and the "hurried" cremation to allege that the victim was "raped repeatedly" by the state administration
Meanwhile, in the face of scathing criticism from Opposition leaders and activists, Adityanath on Friday said that "those who even think of harming the women's self-respect will face total destruction."
Stating that his government is committed to women's safety, Adityanath said such people will get an exemplary punishment.
Taking to the Twitter on Friday, Adityanath said, "Total destruction of those who even think of harming the self-respect of women in UP is inevitable."
"They will get such a punishment that will set an example for future. The Uttar Pradesh government is committed to the safety and development of mothers and daughters," he said.
With inputs from agencies
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2GyTgs4
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