Daughters are under threat: Students and women protest in Delhi against Kathua and Unnao rapes

NEW DELHI: A number of student and women organisations today protested at the Parliament Street against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases and questioned the silence of The protesters also alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of keeping silent on the issue.

"Two gruesome incidents of rape have shocked the nation; not just for the horrific nature of the crime, but also for the ruling party, the BJP trying to shield the accused, with its sitting ministers even going on to support bandhs and rallies against arresting of the rape accused," All India Students Association state secretary Niraj Kumar said.

Organisations like All India Progressive Women's Association, National Federation of Indian Women, JNU Students Union, Students Federation of India among others took part in the protest.

"The PM, known to tweet on every issue, hasn't thought that rape of two women in the BJP ruled states and the shielding of the accused by his party as even an issue to give out a statement. The betis (daughters) of the nation are under threat from the ruling party," Kumar said.

AIPWA national secretary Kavita Krishnan said, "If in Unnao rape case, the accused is a sitting BJP MLA and is roaming around freely while the father of the survivor is dead, in eight-year-old's rape and murder case (in Kathua) they are trying to shield the accused by communalising the incident. Will religion of the victim and of the accused determine justice in this country? Why is the BJP saying, the charge-sheet is wrong and thus justifying the way some lawyers of the Bar Association tried to stop the charge-sheet from being filed?"

All India Democratic Women's Association general secretary Mariam Dhawale said, "Women of this country will not tolerate a regime that defends rape accused and further victimizes complainants. What right do the government have to let the accused roam around freely?"