‘No Vigil for Other Rapes?’: Lekhi Dismisses Kathua, Unnao Outrage

But, Ms Lekhi, there was an outrage.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

In the backdrop of the growing outrage over the Unnao and Kathua rape cases, the BJP on Friday, 13 April, accused the Opposition of speaking up on selective issues.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi held the press conference a few hours after the Congress urged Delhi citizens to join a candlelight vigil at India Gate on the intervening night of 12 and 13 April, in support of the rape victims.

"I would like to bring to your attention to an unrelated case from March. In Nagaon where a 12-year-old was raped and burnt to death by a certain Zakir Hussain and two of his accomplices. Why are their vigils only for Kathua and Unnao rapes. If the media believes that the law will take its course in that case, then why do you think justice will not be done in Unnao and Kathua cases? There should be no politicisation of rape cases," she said.

But There Was an Outrage

There was, in fact, widespread protest and outrage in the state of Assam over the case. Several students’ organisations organised protest rallies demanding stern action against the accused. The protests reached the state Assembly as well, where the Opposition and the BJP government clashed over demands for stricter laws for rapists, resulting in a walkout by several Congress members, including former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

And the outrage was seen not only among the Opposition but among BJP legislators as well. In fact, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had written to the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast track court for cases of crimes against women “on an urgent basis for strict action against perpetrators of such crimes,” The Wire reported.

Justice Delayed?

Unlike the Nagaon rape case where the accused were arrested immediately, the families of Unnao and Kathua rape victims are still awaiting justice.

The Unnao rape survivor claimed that the police refused to name the accused BJP MLA, Kuldeep Singh, in the FIR; moreover, her father allegedly died in police custody after being beaten up by the brother of the accused.

In Kathua, several lawyers from the Jammu and Kathua Bar Associations tried to prevent the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch police from filing a charge-sheet against the eight accused, including police officials. The president of the Jammu Bar Association, BS Salathia, said the arrests were ‘targetted’ at the minority Dogra community.

The Hindu Ekta Manch – a Right-wing group – backed by two BJP ministers of the state took out a march to protest against the ‘wrongful arrests’ of the accused.

Distancing the BJP

However, in the press conference on Friday, even as Lekhi distanced the BJP from the J&K ministers who had supported the accused. She told reporters they were 'misled.’

"Can people not get misled? Even the media gets misled," she told reporters angrily. She accused the media of unfairly reporting and attacking the BJP government when reporting the issue.

She also took a dig at the Opposition for holding a candlelight march. "Why was there no candlelight march for those women who were victims of the 1984 riots? You see, they (Congress) first shout 'minority minority,’ then 'Dalit Dalit,’ and now 'women women,' and then try to somehow fix the blame of state issues on the Centre."

Many were dissatisfied by Lekhi’s unfair comparison of the Nagaon and the Unnao and Kathua rape cases.

Delayed Response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 13 April broke his silence on the gruesome Kathua and Unnao rape cases, that have rocked the conscience of the nation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Ambedkar Memorial in New Delhi, the prime minister said that the “guilty” will not be spared. He asserted that “daughters will get justice”, and the government will ensure that happens.

The incidents in the past two days are an embarrassment to the civilised society. We bow our head before the founding figures of the nation. No culprit will be spared, justice will be delivered. Those daughters will get due justice; all of us have to fix the problem together. The guilty will not go unpunished and the Government of India will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that happens.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Most of the union ministers and BJP leaders also spoke out only very recently on the heinous incidents. While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier said that those responsible for the death of Unnao rape survivor’s father would be dealt with punishment, he avoided any mention of the rape accused – a BJP MLA – until Friday, 13 April.

On Friday, he said, “When the matter came to us, we formed an SIT and they arrested two doctors and a police officer. The matter was referred to the CBI. And I believe yesterday the BJP legislator was also arrested.”

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said, “You (media) want matters to be solved in two minutes. It doesn’t work like that. The concerned state governments and the Centre have taken stock of the situation.”