BSP chief Mayawati took potshots at the Rajasthan-ruled Congress government over the police's alleged delay towards victim's complaint
PM Narendra Modi at an election rally on Saturday. (Right) BSP chief Mayawati in Lucknow on Saturday. Pics/AFP
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday criticised the Congress government in Rajasthan over the gangrape of a Dalit woman on April 26. The rape occurred in Alwar district and has provoked additional outrage for the police's allegedly delayed reaction to the victim's complaint.
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The woman had informed authorities of the crime on April 30, but the police failed to act on it till May 7, leading her husband to claim they did so because of the election. The state voted across two phases — April 29 and May 6 — of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
An ANI report quoted Mayawati as saying, "The Congress government suppressed this incident till the end of election in Rajasthan to preserve their political benefits and threatened the family of the victim to keep quiet about it." She added, "We want the SC to act against the Congress, the police and the state administration and punish them as strictly as possible."
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister earlier demanded death penalty for the guilty. On April 26, the woman was riding pillion on a motorcycle with her husband when the accused, who were on two bikes, waylaid them in Alwar and took them to a field. They allegedly thrashed the husband and raped the woman in front of him.
'Where is award-wapsi gang'
With the country gearing up for the sixth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the 'award-wapsi' gang has shied away from standing up for the Dalit woman who was raped in Alwar last month.
"I want to ask the 'award-wapasi' gang why they are silent on the rape of Alwar's daughter. The Congress too has not taken up the issue," PM Modi said. The prime minister was speaking at an election rally in Ghazipur of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
Taking a dig at Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Modi said both the state government and the Rajasthan police were busy covering up the incident in an attempt to deflect attention from the law and order situation in the state. In 2015, a section of filmmakers, authors, poets and artistes returned their national awards accusing the BJP-led government at the centre of suppressing criticism.
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