Updated: October 24, 2020 9:03:07 pm
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra checks her brother Rahul Gandhi, who was allegedly mistreated by UP police when he was on his way to Hathras to meet with the victim’s family (Archive / ANI)
Hours after the BJP leader and finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, questioned the “silence” of Congress on the Hoshiarpur rape case, party leader Rahul Gandhi responded by saying that the governments of Punjab and Rajasthan do not deny the rape incidents unlike Uttar Pradesh. He said he will “go there to fight for justice” if state governments do not.
“Unlike UP, the governments of Punjab and Rajasthan DO NOT deny that the girl was raped, threatening her family and blocking the course of justice. If they do, I will go there to fight for justice, ”Gandhi tweeted.
Unlike UP, the governments of Punjab and Rajasthan DO NOT deny that the girl was raped, threatening her family and blocking the course of justice.
If they do, I will go there to fight for justice. #Hathras
– Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 24, 2020
The congressional leader’s reference to the UP referred to the Hathras case, in which a 19-year-old Dalit girl died after allegedly being abused by four upper caste men hastily cremated by officials without the presence of the family.
Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congressional leaders had visited the victim’s residence in Hathras and assured them of support.
Comparing the two cases, Sitharaman asked why no “picnic” was organized by Congressional leaders to meet with relatives of the six-year-old whose half-burned body was discovered by Punjab police on Wednesday night.
Referring to the visit of Rahul and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to the village of Hathras, Sitharaman said: “In the case of the rape of Hathras, it seemed as if everyone was going out on a picnic. The brother and sister ran into town. But why not in the case of Hoshiarpur or Rajasthan? The selective indignation of the party has been completely exposed ”.
“Why was there no response from the ‘tweet-friendly’ leader? Is this selective indignation good for the Congress party? At least 35 MPs were extravagant in their statements on Twitter in the Hathras case. Where are those 35 deputies today? “she added.
Noting that the young woman belonged to a Dalit immigrant family from Bihar, Sitharaman also attacked Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and asked him if he had asked Rahul Gandhi about the issue while conducting a joint election campaign. with him in the state.
The six-year-old rape victim in Hoshiarpur village was cremated amid high security on Friday. All her town attended the last rites of the minor, where the family demanded capital punishment for the accused. Prime Minister Amarinder Singh, meanwhile, ordered the DGP to conduct a swift investigation into the matter.
The CM, in a statement, said that he himself ordered the director general of police to ensure that the case is expedited by the courts to ensure strict and exemplary action for the accused. He ridiculed BJP leaders ‘criticism of the congressional leaders’ silence on the case, calling his comments “political bravado” without substance or basis to support his criticism.
(PTI inputs)
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