NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sharply criticised BJP over the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Nehru Vihar area, accusing the ruling party of failing to ensure the safety of women and children in the national capital.
A delegation led by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly, Atishi, visited the victim’s family to offer support.
The girl’s body was found on Saturday stuffed in a suitcase in a neighbour’s house in northeast Delhi’s Dayalpur area, triggering protests by the locals.
Accompanied by Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Sanjeev Jha and party leader Adil Khan, Atishi condemned the BJP administration’s response to the incident.
She noted that despite the gravity of the situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had not visited the grieving family. Atishi emphasised that Delhi is under a “four-engine” BJP government—comprising the Centre, the Lieutenant Governor, the Police, and the Chief Minister—all aligned with the BJP. Yet, she questioned, “What is the BJP actually doing? Why can they not keep our daughters safe?”
“This horrific incident has shaken not just Delhi but the conscience of the entire nation. The victim’s family is in a terrible state, and the entire area is gripped with fear. Every household is now anxious about letting their daughters step outside,” Atishi said.
The AAP leader pledged her party’s support to the victim’s family in “every possible” way. “I demand from the Delhi government that financial aid be given to the victim’s family without delay. We are also seeking time to meet with the police commissioner to ensure swift action and that the family receives justice at the earliest. The accused must face the harshest punishment possible,” Atishi said.
She also called out an apparent silence over the matter by Shah, who is responsible for the law and order of the city as the Union home minister. “But when it comes to protecting our girls, Amit Shah is nowhere to be seen. Delhi CM is constantly seen at one or the other public programme. But when a girl is raped and murdered, the CM shows no concern,” the former CM added.