WCD Minister calls for India Gate assembly today
new delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's leader and Delhi's SC/ST, Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam in a digital briefing said that the incidents of rape and murder in Uttar Pradesh have shocked people. He urged people to assemble at India Gate on Friday at 5 pm and demand justice for all the victims.
In a tweet, Gautam wrote, "Incidents of rape and murders in Hathras, Balrampur, Khargone, Baghpat, Bulandshahar, Azamgarh are shocking. We cannot sit silently. In protest against this jungle raj, all of us are reaching India Gate at 5 o'clock tomorrow. Don't sit at home. Raise your voice."
"Hathras was followed by Bulandshahr, Azamgarh and now Balrampur. This series of problems continue unabated. It seems that the criminals in UP have the protection of the government...," he added in another tweet.
Moreover, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal also spoke on the violent crimes against women in UP. She wrote on Twitter, "After Hathras, now a girl in Uttar Pradesh Balrampur became a victim. The girl was brutally raped, both her legs broken. The girl died before reaching the hospital. I clearly say that there is Gundaraj in Uttar Pradesh!"
Post the brutal rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, protests have erupted in various parts of the Capital since Wednesday that continued on Thursday as well. The caste-based violence has started a debate in the rural areas of India, where such violent crimes are common.
"We have been going backwards ever since the BJP came into power. Caste-based violence is not new and the government has not done anything concrete to curb the situation," a student activist said while preparing to attend a protest in Delhi on
Thursday.
Various calls were made by organisations, one of them being at Delhi University's Arts Faculty — where students were reportedly detained for protesting. "It was a peaceful gathering to condemn heinous gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. While protesting we were manhandled and dragged into the bus by the Delhi Police. Many activists were injured," SFI DU president Sumit said.
According to the office of Commissioner of the police, around 25 students were detained at the Maurice Nagar police station from the Arts Faculty, DU. The Delhi Police had reportedly imposed section 144 at various places where the protesters might get collected, including India Gate and the arts
faculty.
A protest call was made later in the night at Jantar Mantar where candles were lit. Another protest was held at Khureji by local citizens
there. The Delhi Police, however, said, "The general public is hereby informed that in view of DDMA order dated 03.09.2020 a total gathering upto 100 persons is permissible at the designated place i.e. Jantar Mantar and that too with prior permission of the competent authority." It added that assemblies at India Gate would not be allowed as Section 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in the area.
