Hundreds join in as Cong, AAP protest Kathua, Unnao rapes

Mumbaikars from different walks of life today held protests against the incidents of rape and murder in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and gangrape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.

Sanjay Nirupam, Congress' Mumbai unit chief, who led a candlelight march at Juhu beach here, attacked the Union government, stating that acting against these horrific crimes was "not the choice but the moral responsibility" of the government.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nirupam said the PM had been silent on the two incidents for the "longest time" and he now needed to spell out clearly to the nation what he intended to do to ensure that justice was done in both cases.

Another protest, organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in suburban Bandra, saw actor Vicky Kaushal, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, actor Kalki Koechlin, radio jockey Malishka Mendonsa and social activist Ruben Mascarenhas join hundreds of others to demand justice for the two victims.

AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon later tweeted that some "BJP stooges" tried to disrupt the protest.

"The protest was marred by some BJP stooges who 1. Did not allow citizens to speak. 2. Claimed that using slogans was anti national. How is Azaadi from Balatkar anti-national? 3. Created a police scare to try and shoo the protesters away" she tweeted.