New Delhi :Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over increasing incidents of violence and sexual assault of minors. Citing that there have been 19,675 cases of rapes of minors in 2016, the Congress chief said that PM Modi must fast track the cases and punish the guilty.
He tweeted, “There were 19,675 rapes of minor children reported in 2016. This is shameful. PM should fast track these cases and punish the guilty if he is serious about providing “justice for our daughters.”
Last week as well, Rahul Gandhi had targeted PM Modi saying his silence over growing violence against women and children was unacceptable. Taking to Twitter, he had asked as to why accused rapists and murderers are protected by the state, in an apparent reference to Unnao rape case where the accused is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
The Congress chief had on Thursday last held a midnight candlelight march at India Gate in the national capital against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, which have triggered a country-wide outrage.
Rahul’s sister Priyanka, husband Robert Vadra, Congress leaders and cadres, and others, carried out a march against the BJP-led Centre demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of the two incidents.
On Sunday as well, the Congress party held a candlelight march at Juhu Beach area in Mumbai, attacking the central government over the two rape cases. Leading the protest, Congress Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam had said that acting against these horrific crimes was “not the choice but the moral responsibility” of the government.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nirupam said the PM had been silent on the two incidents for the “longest time” and he now needed to spell out clearly to the nation what he intended to do to ensure that justice was done in both cases.
In Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic 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.
In Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, a teen alleged that she was raped by ruling BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was later held by police. 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.
