Amid Hathras uproar, Adityanath assures punishment for those harming women
At the receiving end of criticism over the Hathras gang-rape incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said his government will give exemplary punishment to those harming mothers and sisters. "The government of UP is committed to the safety and security and development of all mothers and sisters," he wrote in Hindi, just as calls for his resignation have grown louder.
The BJP-led UP government is being slammed for not handling the gang-rape case of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, by four upper-caste men, efficiently. The victim wasn't taken to a better medical facility, despite serious spine injuries. On Tuesday, hours after she passed away in Delhi, UP Police came out in huge force to get her cremated in the dead of night, defying the family's wishes.
Shockingly, Hathras isn't the only place where women are suffering. This week, a 22-year-old Dalit woman was raped by two men, Shahid and Sahil, in Balrampur. She died on her way to a Lucknow hospital. Separately, a 14-year-old was raped in Bulandshahr and an eight-year-old in Azamgarh, hours after the Hathras victim died. As the rise in women-related crimes sparked anger, Adityanath spoke up.
उत्तर प्रदेश में माताओं-बहनों के सम्मान-स्वाभिमान को क्षति पहुंचाने का विचार मात्र रखने वालों का समूल नाश सुनिश्चित है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 2, 2020
इन्हें ऐसा दंड मिलेगा जो भविष्य में उदाहरण प्रस्तुत करेगा।
आपकी @UPGovt प्रत्येक माता-बहन की सुरक्षा व विकास हेतु संकल्पबद्ध है।
यह हमारा संकल्प है-वचन है।
To note, the UP administration's high-handedness after opposition politicians showed interest in meeting the bereaved family has also been slammed. Yesterday, when Congress' Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi marched toward Bulgaddhi village to extend condolences, they were stopped, detained, and removed from the site. Rahul alleged he was manhandled and pushed to the ground, prompting him to tell Adityanath to not be "this scared."
Today, the same treatment was given to Trinamool's Derek O'Brien and three of his colleagues just as they tried to enter the village. In a confrontation with cops, Derek was pushed to the ground. A video showed TMC MP Pratima Mandal was also stopped as she tried to visit the village. After being allegedly roughed up, the Trinamool members staged a sit-in protest.
Denying the serious allegations of manhandling, Hathras Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prem Prakash Meena said, "Women constables requested them (Trinamool leaders) to go back as no one is allowed to enter the village. When they tied to enter forcibly, women constables stopped them."
Meanwhile, a protest has been planned at Jantar Mantar, after Delhi Police banned large gatherings at India Gate. Visuals from the spot showed scores of people, holding placards, demanding justice for the victim, and an end to violence against women. Notably, the four accused have been arrested and an SIT has been given the responsibility to probe the case.
