Culprits are not scared of anyone, there’s no place for women in UP: Priyanka

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the general secretary in-charge of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh (East) has accused the Yogi Adityanath government of being responsible for the growing incidents of rapes and related deaths in the state as well as shielding culprits.

Priyanka made the accusations while talking to reporters on Saturday (December 7) after meeting the family of the Unnao rape victim who succumbed to her burn injuries after being allegedly set ablaze by the men who have been charged with raping her last year.

“The accused have beaten up the victim’s father. They threatened a 10-year-old kid and asked him not to come to the victim’s house. The case needs to be investigated and the reasons need to be found without making it a political issue,” she said.

“The culprits are not scared of anyone. That is the problem. I think there is no place for women in UP,” she added.

Earlier in a tweet, Priyanka questioned the Uttar Pradesh government why the victim was not given security even though a similar incident had happened in the same district earlier.

In a tweet, she said: “Why the victim of Unnao gangrape case was not given security keeping in mind an earlier incident of Unnao? What action has been taken on the police official who refused to register an FIR? What steps are being taken by the government to stop crime against the women, which take place on a daily basis?”

उन्नाव की पिछली घटना को ध्यान में रखते हुए सरकार को तत्काल पीड़िता को सुरक्षा क्यों नहीं दी गई? जिस अधिकारी ने उसका FIR दर्ज करने से मना किया उस पर क्या कार्रवाई हुई? उप्र में रोज रोज महिलाओं पर जो अत्याचार हो रहा है, उसको रोकने के लिए सरकार क्या कर रही है ?

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 7, 2019

She was referring to another attack in the district in July when the car in which a woman, who had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of raping her, was hit by a truck.

Also read: Fast track court to hear Unnao rape case, victim’s family demands justice

In another tweet Priyanka Gandhi said: “I pray to God to give courage to the family members of Unnao victim.”

She called the occurrence of such incidents as everyone’s collective failure.

“At the social level, we all are guilty, but at the same time, this also points out to the hollow law and order mechanism in UP,” she tweeted.

Making similar allegations against the Uttar Pradesh government, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate demanded strict action against the accused in the case.

“Not the first and this will not indeed be the last case if you (UP government) don’t wake up. The UP government seems to be in a dying hurry to become the rape capital. More than assurance, the UP government needs to strengthen the law and order situation in the state. Our straight question is to UP police that why FIR was not registered in four months and why the accused were left out on bail,” PTI quoted her as saying.

She was responding to the statement of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who gave the assurance that the case would be pleaded in a fast track court to provide speedy justice to the deceased woman’s family.

Hitting out at Adityanath, Shrinate claimed that political protection is being given to those committing crimes against women.

“How do accused get away by committing such heinous crimes. What gives them the courage to do so? The answer is it is due to complete collapse of law and order in the state,” she said.

“They somehow find political protection and that is why they have the courage to go ahead and do this against our women,” she said.

She also questioned the silence of the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders.

“We can’t turn a blind eye. Why are the prime minister, all those ministers who took to the streets earlier, now silent? Why is there a conspicuous silence in the matter,” she asked.

The 23-year-old rape victim from Unnao, airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital after she was set ablaze, allegedly by five persons including two men accused of raping her, died on Friday night.

(With inputs from agencies)