New Delhi:
Uttar Pradesh police on Friday lathicharged on Congress workers, who were protesting against the Yogi Adityanath government over the Unnao rape victim’s murder. The police thrashed the protesters and detained many fo them in order to stop them from protesting against the government. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, who led the protests in Lucknow, was dragged by the police. A video retweeted from the Twitter handle of @AjayLalluINC, shows two policemen dragging the UP Congress chief to a police vehicle while other party workers surrounding him raised slogans.
UP INC chief @AjayLalluINC being dragged by policemen
— Kanchan Srivastava (@Ms_Aflatoon) December 7, 2019
Wish our cops treat powerful criminals in the same way pic.twitter.com/R4NTrt9grQ
Massive protests also broke out at the village of Unnao rape victim as two ministers from Yogi Adityanath’s Cabinet arrived there to visit the family members of the woman, who died Friday night after being set ablaze by the men accused of raping her. Angry locals shouted "why now" slogans as soon as the convoy of two ministers – Kamal Rani Varun and Swami Prasad Maurya – entered the village. The police had to remove protesters who were blocking the vehicles of the ministers in order to facilitate their visit.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who visited the family member of the deceased Unnao rape victim, said that the accused had tortured her father and had been threatening her uncle for over a year. "The family told me about the ordeal that they are going through since last year. The culprits have threatened and harassed them. They even threatened a 10-year-old in their family, and burned their farm," she said and asked authorities why no action was taken against the accused for harassing the family.
The Congress leader also claimed a connection between the ruling BJP and the accused. "Victim's whole family has been constantly harassed since last year. I have heard that the culprits have some BJP connection. That is why they were being shielded. There is no fear among criminals in the state," she alleged.
Former chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav sat on a dharna outside the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Lucknow, demanding the resignation of Yogi Adityanath. "The chief minister had said in this very assembly, 'apradhiyon ko thok diya jayega' (criminals will be shot), they could not save the life of a daughter," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a house for the kin of the deceased rape victim. Yogi Adityanath said that culprits will be punished and the case will be tried in a fast-track court.
