Delhi Cong on candle march over rape cases

The Delhi Congress took out candle marches across the city tonight to protest the Kathua and Unnao minor rape cases and slammed the BJP for the alleged rise in crimes against the women across the country.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had last night led a midnight march to the India Gate here to protest the rape cases, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the talk on 'beti bachao' (save the girl child).

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken led the protest march at the Red Fort at 10 PM while senior party leaders and workers attended similar marches in all 14 districts in the city.

"Atrocities against women across the country, specially in the BJP ruled states, is on the rise. The party is sleeping over such matters while its ministers and MLAs are involved which is really shameful," Maken said while addressing protesters near the Red Fort.

An eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community disappeared near her house on January 10 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. Her body was found in the same area a week later.

In the Unnao case, a 17-year-old girl has alleged she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4, 2017.

In February, the girl's family moved the court seeking to include the MLA's name in the case.

After the case was filed, the victim's father was booked by the police under the Arms Act on April 3 this year and put in jail, where he died on April 8.