Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday lit into UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asking her to act decisively, instead of “calling for action” in the case of the 23-year-old girl’s gangrape here.
As the victim struggled for her life in a city hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries to restore her damaged organs, citizens erupted in protest on the streets of Delhi.
In Parliament expressing surprise over Sonia’s reported statement demanding action against the culprits of the crime, Sushma said, “It should have been Sushma demands action and Sonia promises immediate action.” She said that it is a Congress Minister who is running the Union Home Ministry to which the Delhi Police reports. Similarly, the Delhi government is also Congress run, though the Chief Minister has no control over the city-state’s cops.
The BJP leader while partially absolving Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, put the blame squarely on Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. But, she mostly challenged the response that came from Sonia, who made a quiet visit to Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday night to see the victim. “I was extremely surprised when I saw on the TV that Sonia demands immediate action. Soniaji’s role is not to demand action, but to act. She has her own government. So, we were hoping that she would promise some action and some action would have been taken by now. It is extremely distressing that those who are running the government are also demanding action. Delhi Police come under the direct charge of the Centre, not the Delhi government. So, the responsibility here rests with the Home Ministry,” Sushma said.