Midnight candlelight march at India Gate over Unnao, Kathua rape cases | In Pics

Courtesy: IANS

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi led a midnight march to India Gate on Thursday to protest the Kathua and Unnao minor rape cases and said it's time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the talk on 'beti bachao' (save the girl child). Amid slogans against the BJP and the prime minister during the march, Gandhi said women of the country are afraid to go out today and the government must ensure their safety. Gandhi was joined by his sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra as also their children, besides scores of Congress leaders, party workers and others, who were seen shouting slogans, carrying candles and some even holding 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 gang rape cases.

Courtesy: ANI

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that this is a national issue and not a political one. "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.

Courtesy: IANS

Amid slogans being raised against the government at the protest march, Gandhi said the women of the country are afraid to go out today and the government must ensure their safety and help them live in peace.

Courtesy: IANS

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.

Courtesy: ANI

Ghulam Nabi Azad, said the Modi government was sleeping and those facing the biggest threat were the daughters of the country during the current regime. Several Congress leaders also poked fun at the Modi government's Beti Bachao slogan, saying the daughters were not safe in the country.

Courtesy: ANI

Announcing the march, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted in the evening, "Like millions of Indians my heart hurts tonight. India simply cannot continue to treat its women the way it does.