LUCKNOW: Coming down heavily on Congress-led Rajasthan state government, BSP chief Mayawati demanded death sentence for the accused in the Alwar gang-rape case and asked the Supreme Court of India to take Suo Motu cognizance of the incident and act against the Rajasthan government and police.
“The guilty in Alwar gang-rape case should be hanged till death. Supreme Court should take action against the Congress government, police and the administration in the state. This matter is not just
related to Dalits but entire womanhood,” said the BSP chief while interacting with media persons here on Saturday.
Mayawati also charged the election commission with inaction against those who were indulging in making derogatory remarks against women during the ensuing polls. The case of gang rape came to the fore in Alwar where a Dalit woman alleged that she was gang-raped by five men in front of her husband.
The couple was travelling on a bike when they were waylaid by five men who beat up the husband and recorded a video of the crime and circulated it on social media. The incident took place on April 26 but a case was registered on May 2 as the victim was being threatened by the accused.
Police have arrested all six accused -- Indra Raj Gurjar, Mahesh Gurjar, Ashok Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar, Chhote Lal Gurjar and Mukesh Gurjar -- on charges of gang rape and filming the crime.
The Rajasthan government has been facing flak from the opposition BJP after the number of rape and abduction cases shot up in last one month. The BSP chief claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government had proved to be a total failure in ensuring justice to the victim. She also claimed that as per her belief, Congress was incapable of delivering to the gang-rape victim.
Mayawati accused the Gehlot government of intimidating the victim's asking them to keep the incident within wraps till the end of the Lok Sabha elections. “There my people mounted pressure on the state government to act and then the authorities moved,” claimed the BSP chief.
On Friday, National SC/ST Commission Vice Chairman L Murgan, recommended that an FIR be registered against police officers whose alleged negligence led to delay in action in the Alwar gang rape case. The victim’s husband had claimed that following the incident, he approached the police but the FIR was delayed till May 2.
The victim’s family submitted a memorandum for speedy trial, compensation and government job. The Commission has also asked the state government to check how the victim’s husband can be provided compensation under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.