Akhilesh sits on ‘dharna’ to protest Unnao case, to conduct ‘shokh sabha’

Accompanied by senior party leaders, Yadav squatted before the main entrance of the Vidhan Sabha to protest over the Unnao incident.

Many political leaders are up in arms over the death of the Unnao rape survivor. She had been on her way to a local court for the hearing of a rape case she had filed when five men, including her alleged rapists, attacked her. Late on Friday night she passed away in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.

Samajwadi Party leader and Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is at present sitting on a ‘dharna’ outside Vidhan Sabha in protest against Unnao rape case, while Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra rushed to Unnao to meet the family of the rape victim who succumbed to severe burns in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, “This is an extremely condemnable incident. This is a black day. It is not the first such incident under this BJP Govt. CM had said in this very assembly, ‘apradhiyon ko thok diya jayega’, they could not save the life of a daughter.”

Accompanied by senior party leaders, Yadav sat before the main entrance of the Vidhan Sabha to protest the Unnao incident.

“Till the day Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, state Home Secretary and DGP don’t resign, justice will not be done. Tomorrow we will conduct a shokh sabha in all districts of the state over Unnao rape case,” he added.

In the meantime, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has left for Unnao to meet the family and extend condolences to them, Congress sources said.

Earlier in the day, reacting to the news, she had questioned the Uttar Pradesh government as to why the Unnao gang rape victim was not given security keeping in mind a similar incident that took place earlier in the same district.

In a tweet, she said: “Why the victim of Unnao gangrape case was not given security keeping in mind an earlier incident of Unnao? What action has been taken on the police official who refused to register an FIR? What steps are being taken by the government to stop crime against the women, which take place on a daily basis?”

She was referring to another such alleged attack in the district in July when the car with a woman, who had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of raping her, was hit by a truck.

In another tweet Priyanka Gandhi said: “I pray to God to give courage to the family members of Unnao victim.”

The Congress general secretary also went on to say that it is everyone’s collective failure as a society that the victim was not able to get justice.

“At the social level, we all are guilty, but at the same time, this also points out to the hollow law and order mechanism in UP,” she tweeted.

The Unnao rape victim was set ablaze by her attackers. She suffered 90% burns and passed away late on Friday night in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.

One of the two men accused of raping her last year was granted bail 10 days back. The other man had been on the run.

All the five men involved in Thursday morning’s attack were arrested within hours. According to the police, the five men, identified as Shubham, Shivam, Harishankar, Umesh and Ram Kishore, had allegedly thrown kerosene on the woman and set her ablaze.