NEW DELHI: Thousands of protesters, shouting slogans and holding placards, gathered at Jantar Mantar on Friday demanding justice for the girl who died last Tuesday in the capital after allege gangrape in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.
‘BJP Bhagao, Beti Bachao’, ‘Protector of Rapists,Yogi Sarkar’, ‘We remember Unnao, we will remember Hathras’, ‘Yogi Adityanath must resign’ were some of the slogans on the placards and raised by the thousands present.
The protest was earlier scheduled to be held at India Gate but was later shifted to Jantar Mantar owing to prohibitory orders imposed in the Rajpath area. Activists from different organisations, civil society, political leaders, lawyers, Vaimiki Samaj, Bhim Army, students, women, workers from several political parties and people from across the city joined the protest.
Hundreds of students from Delhi University, JNU, Ambedkar University for Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia also took part. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, left party leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and D Raja, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekar, lawyer activist Prashant Bhushan, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and actor Sawara Bhaskar were among those who turned up. Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak, Rajendra Pal Gautam.
Earlier during the day, Kejriwal had said that “in a democracy, people in power must not forget that they are not ‘owners’ but ‘sevaks’ of the people”.
Speaking at the gathering, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said, “The silence of the central government and the top leadership of the BJP on such a heinous crime and the UP government’s response speaks volumes about the authoritarian and anti-democratic ways of the ruling party.”
“We are demanding resignation of the UP CM and accountability from the UP Police. Ever since the BJP has come to power, crimes against Dalits are increasing, and the UP government has no sensitivity towards these issues,” said D Raja.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad said, “They first delayed in registering case and let her die and then they burned her body without the family’s consent, proper rituals and last rites. They burned her like garbage. Now, the UP government is saying there is no proof of rape. It is enough, we cannot take more, we will not move, our protest will continue until the accused are hanged till death and justice is served.”
People also held a candlelight vigil while raising slogans demanding the resignation of UP CM Yogi Adityanth and justice for the victim. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi attended a prayer meeting at Panchkuian Road in central Delhi.
The police later registered a case against protestors for violation of prohibitory orders imposed to combat the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
AAP protests across UP against Yogi government
AAP units held protests across many districts of UP on Friday demanding resignation of CM Yogi Adityanath. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the current “casteist” BJP regime of shielding the gang rape accused as they are from Thakur caste.
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