NEW DELHI: Members of the Congress women’s wing in Delhi staged a protest at Vijay Chowk on Tuesday demanding justice for the Hathras gang-rape victim, who died at Safdarjung Hospital in the morning. They also demanded capital punishment for the culprits.
The protest was led by newly appointed president of the Congress women’s wing Amrita Dhawan, who was also joined by Congress Rajya Sabha MP PL Punia and former MP Udit Raj.
The leaders were detained by the police and taken to the Mandir Marg police station, a senior police officer said. Dhawan said the Mahila Congress members were trying to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan to demand justice for the victim when the police detained them.
“Women are safe neither in UP nor in Delhi, where the Kejriwal government talks about women’s safety only when some elections are round the corner, and it suits his AAP politically,” said Dhawan.
A total of 22 men and 11 women were detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station, said a senior Delhi Police official.
As the protestors had violated orders under section 144 CrPC and other Covid-19 pandemic norms, an FIR under the appropriate section of Epidemic Act and 51(b) Disaster Management Act has been registered against them.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Chaudhary Anil Kumar also expressed shock over at the death of the rape victim and criticised the Yogi Adityanath government for failing to prevent the occurrence of brutal sexual assaults on women, particularly against Dalit women.