New Delhi:
Congress president Rahul Gandhi led a midnight march to the India Gate in the heart of the national capital to demand justice for the Kathua and Unnao rape victims.
During the march, Rahul taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it’s time for him to walk the talk on ‘Beti Bachao’ (save the girl child).
Amid loud slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Modi during the march, Rahul said the women of the country are afraid to go out today and the government must ensure their safety.
Apart from Rahul, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with her husband Robert Vadra and scores other Congress leader also joined the protest march.
The Congress leaders, party workers and others, who were seen shouting slogans, carrying candles and some even placards against the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir while demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of two heinous gangrapes—one in Unnao (UP) and the other in Kathua (J&K).
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“We are here against crimes being committed against women, against rapes, violence and murder and the government must act on this. This is a national issue and not a political one,” Rahul said at the march.
“This is about our women. Thousands are present here including the common people and people from all parties. This situation is such today that one after another incident of murder, rape and violence is taking place in various parts of the country. We are standing here against that and we want the government to act,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Aazad also taunted Modi and said the Congress was trying to wake up the watchman.
Azad said the Modi government was sleeping and those facing the biggest threat were the daughters of the country during the current regime.
The Congress leaders present at the protest march to the India Gate, which in the past has seen a huge protest in the Nirbhaya rape case, included Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Sushmita Dev, Haroon Yusuf, Randeep Surjewala and Ambika Soni.
(With inputs from agencies)
