BJP treating Kathua, Unnao cases in religious, community perspective: Congress

The Congress on Friday questioned the silence of prominent and vocal women leaders of the BJP including Srmiti Irani and Sushma Swaraj over the incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, and attacked the government for treating the cases "in the perspective of religion and community".

"Post Unnao-Kathua, the collective conscience of the nation has shaken, but nothing seem to shake the conscience of the Prime Minister," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

"Where are the tweets, reactions, speeches, statements from the women leadership of the BJP, which in past have been vociferously hitting the keypads, using social media to take on the UPA government, when it came to highlighting violence against women?.

"Where is Sushma Swaraj? Where is Smriti Irani? Where are other prominent women leaders of the BJP who were sloganeering on 'Bahut hua nari par war' during the UPA?" he asked, adding that some of them were giving us homilies of not politicising these things," he added.

Singhvi also hit out at BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi for her comments that crimes were committed against women in 1984 riots but no candle light march was led and accusing them of raking of claiming minorities, Dalits, women were being in victimised.

"Incidents like Khatua and Unnao are being seen in perspective of religion and in the context of a community. When you think in this manner, where will the improvement come from.

"I was hurt, amazed and sad that after a long silence, when a BJP leader made a statement. You can call this a religious clarification. Is this correct in reference to the incidents in Unnao and Kathua," he asked.

Singhvi asked: "Why is the Modi government now talking about amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO). Why did they not amend it in past four years?"

Asked about the conduct of lawyers, including Jammu Bar Association President B. S. Slathia, former polling agent of Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who tried to obstruct the filing of a charge-sheet in the Kathua rape and murder, Singhvi, citing the Supreme Court notice, said: "We are not here to take names, or to convict or acquit.

"But anyone irrespective of connection, colour or affiliation, if they indulge in obstructing investigation or chargesheet filing, I do not think the Congress is going to be standing in support of that person."

--IANS

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