Police officers cremated the victim’s body at around 3 a.m. while his family members were at home.
The Politburo of the CPI (M) alleged that under the BJP rule, patronage of reactionary and caste forces was leading to a large increase in crimes against Dalits and women.
- PTI
- Last update: September 30, 2020 10:40 PM IST
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On Wednesday, left-wing parties attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, claiming that the burial of the gangrape victim in Hathras without the consent of his family was a “flagrant denial of justice and exposed the prevalence of caste violence in the state. In a press release, the CPI (M) Politburo said that the “barbaric rape based on caste” was “a reflection of total lawlessness” in the northern state.
The 19-year-old Dalit woman was raped in a village in Hathras of Uttar Pradesh by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday. The woman was cremated in Hathras early Wednesday morning, and her family alleged that local police forced them to perform the last rites in the dead of night.
“The CPI (M) strongly condemns the actions of the Adityanath government on the flagrant denial of justice to rape victim Hathras Dalit and her family. Her death is the result of the government’s callous approach,” the statement said. “The victim was seriously injured in the barbarous crime of rape committed by four upper caste men on September 14, had her tongue cut out, she was bleeding profusely but the police refused to present an FIR for five days, denying the victim treatment immediate doctor what could have saved her and in the latest act of caste cruelty, the police cremated her body, denying the family the right to give their daughter a dignified funeral, “he said.
The Politburo of the CPI (M) alleged that under the BJP rule, patronage of reactionary and caste forces was leading to a large increase in crimes against Dalits and women. The party demanded action against police personnel who reportedly refused to file an FIR in the case and against those responsible for the forced cremation of the victim.
CPI General Secretary D Raja in a separate statement said that according to data from the National Criminal Records Office (NCRB), in recent years crimes against Dalits are on the rise and, at the same time, rates of Convictions have decreased substantially. Official statistics further indicate that UP leads crimes against Dalits, especially Dalit women, he said. The woman’s death was “one more example that exposed the violence of caste society and the utter humiliation engendered by the ideology of Brahmin patriarchy,” Raja said.
“His death raises a profound moral question for Indian society that, even after seven decades of the formal establishment of the modern democratic republic, it remains organized and functioning through archaic, irrational and violent caste collectives. While the four Perpetrators of the upper castes have been arrested, this whole incident draws attention to the deplorable situation that prevails in Uttar Pradesh under Adityanath, “he said.
The CPI leader further accused the Adityanath government of “subscribing to and practicing unconstitutional caste norms and alleged that a culture of violence is being carefully cultivated and social hierarchies are being reinforced. Violence is the cornerstone of this divisive vision of the Hindu right. ICC condemns the Adityanath government for failing in its responsibilities as an elected government. The Adityanath government has completely failed to uphold the constitution and protect the human rights and dignity of Dalits and Adivasis, “said the left-wing leader .
The CPI demanded that Adityanath resign as prime minister, saying he has no “moral right” to continue in office. He also demanded strict punitive action against the perpetrators under SC / ST’s Prevention of Atrocities Act (POA). Making the demands on behalf of his party, Raja also called for a national protest against rape and murder.
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