Mahila Congress to observe ‘Black Day’ across India on April 17 to protest against crimes against women

Amid the growing atrocities against women, especially the Unnao rape case and Kathua rape case, the All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) has decided to observe a ‘Black Day’ on April 17.

With this move, the party will intensify its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh (UP) government.

Sushmita Dev, president of the All India Mahila Congress, said, “Be it the case of a teenage victim in UP's Unnao or the story of Asifa, the eight-year-old girl in Kathua who was gang-raped for seven days and then killed, the BJP has failed to provide the common minimum need of safety to women across the country. The graph of crimes against women has gone up in India and BJP ruled states and thus, the Congress party will observe April 17 as the black day against this trend.”

The All India Mahila Congress took to Twitter to announce the ‘Black Day’, and wrote, “Mahila Congress will observe #BlackDay on 17th April 2018 to protest against the @BJP4India complicity and @narendramodi 's silence over Kathua & Unnao rape cases and rising crimes against women through demonstrations across India.”

Mahila Congress will observe #BlackDay on 17th April 2018 to protest against the @BJP4India complicity and @narendramodi 's silence over Kathua & Unnao rape cases and rising crimes against women through demonstrations across India. pic.twitter.com/U5TStmiXzw

— All India Mahila Congress (@MahilaCongress) April 12, 2018

Dev reached Lucknow on Thursday morning to launch a massive protest against the Yogi government in the related Unnao gang-rape case. Raising anti-government slogans, the Mahila leaders broke bangles on the street to show their resentment towards the failing governance.

The Mahila Congress workers demanded immediate arrest of the accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao gang-rape case. Also joining the protest were Congress committee and the youth Congress workers.

However, the protest lasted two hours, with many workers being detained by the UP Police.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi to hold candle march at India Gate in support of Kathua, Unnao rape victims

Dev demanded UP Chief Minister Adityanath’s resignation along with demanding the suspension of Sengar from BJP. She said, “If Prime Minister Modi was to prove that his promise to ensure safety of women was true, he must remove CM Yogi and order his party leadership to suspend the accused MLA.”

Annu Tandon, former Congress MP from Unnao, said, “The case in Unnao lends a face to many other victims across UP. We have data to prove that crime in UP has gone up ever since Yogi took charge.”

Congress MLA Aradhana Mishra said, “A headless women's commission suggests how casually BJP government takes the issues pertaining to women.”

The Mahila Congress' announcement comes minutes after Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he would carry a candle-light march on Thursday midnight at India Gate to condemn the Unnao and Kathua rape cases.