Cong demands immediate arrest of accused, govt job for rape victim - Party spokesperson Nimisha Mehta on Monday lambasts Badal government, states crime against women all-time high

Tuesday, 10/03/2015

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=126437&boxid=59509&uid=&dat=2015-03-10

Jalandhar : Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) spokesperson Nimisha Mehta on Monday condemned the gangrape of a 23-year-old girl in Ludhiana and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused, while also demanding a government job for the victim.

“Punjab Congress is giving seven day’s time to the police and the state government to arrest the accused, failing which, the party would launch a massive protest demonstration,” she said. In a media release issued here on Monday, Mehta said that Congress would ensure that justice was delivered to the victim.

Further, lambasting the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal-led state government for the failing law and order situation in the state, she said, “It was due to the utter failure of the state government and Punjab police that the city was marred with two

rapes on the same day,” she said.

Ironically while the world celebrated International Women’s Day, the CM and his men failed to safeguard the women in their own state, she added. Referring to the Cabinet decision made to reduce the jail term for the rape convicts by Badal government, Mehta said, “It is shameful that Badal government is making efforts to save rapists from punishment. How could we expect justice for rape victims?”

The Congress spokesperson also tore into Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who holds the Home Department portfolio, for failing to stop crime against women.

Mehta also attacked Bathinda MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for running ‘Nanhi Chaan’ project, but doing nothing to save women. “Harsimrat was available for getting pictures clicked, but never uttered a single word against atrocities against women in Punjab,” she said.

Highlighting the previous police failures, Mehta said that in the past too, in Patiala gangrape case, the police forced the victim and her family to reach a compromise with the accused, so that the latter could go scot-free. “The victim, tired of pressure put by the police for compromise, committed suicide,” she added.

Attacking the SAD-BJP for its poor governance, she alleged that crime against women was at an all-time high, therefore taking moral responsibility for its failure to protect women, the CM must step down from the post.

Congress, AAP condemn Ludhiana gangrape

Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the Ludhiana gangrape case.

“Government must arrest the culprits immediately so that they are brought to justice without any delay,” he said in a statement issued here.

Expressing his support to the victim and her family, he assured them, “We will ensure that you get justice and the culprits are brought to book at the earliest.”

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader H S Phoolka said that it is shameful that such horrifying incidents are taking place in Ludhiana.

“It is primarily because of non-availability of police persons for the security of the public. Majority of these police persons are working and guarding many VIPs round-the-clock in Ludhiana. As a result, manpower is significantly reduced for the normal functioning and security of common people,” Phoolka said in a statement here.

These incidents could have been avoided if police persons deployed with VIPs had been doing their routine duties instead of securing those in power, he added.

“It is the mindset of police which needs to change where in they think that only the security of VIP is important and the common man or woman should fend for themselves,” he said.

He further said AAP activists will hold a protest in front of Police Commissioner’s office at Ludhiana on Tuesday and present a memorandum to the Commissioner demanding increased safety for women in particular and general public. A 23-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped in a moving car after she was abducted by unidentified youths from the posh Raj Guru Nagar locality in Ludhiana on Saturday.