Stalking case: Mayawati questions BJP's silence, demands Barala's arrest

BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday questioned the silence of top leaders of the BJP over alleged stalking of a young woman by Haryana party chief's son and his friend and demanded their immediate arrest.

She also accusing the BJP of trying to hush up the matter and asked if the law of the land was not applicable on those related to BJP. "Why this double standard?", she asked.

"It is a matter of grave concern that senior BJP leaders are not only silent on the issue but also trying to hush up the matter. Where are the leaders who had raised the slogan of 'Beti Bachao'?" she said in a statement here.

Mayawati demanded invoking of kidnapping charges against the accused and his immediate arrest. She also called for strict action in cases of atrocity and exploitation of women.

The BSP chief alleged that in BJP ruled states, there was no rule of law in cases of atrocities and crimes against women, specially in Haryana.

"The manner in which the accused, Vikas Barala, is being defended by Chief Minister Manoharlal Khattar has resulted in invoking very weak sections against him and he was let off from the police station itself," Mayawati said, adding that under such circumstances, the people's anger was fully justified.

"Is the law of the land not be applicable to the BJP people? The recent Haryana incident has proved that beti bachao, love jehad, women's safety, gau raksha and anti-romeo are mere slogans for them (the BJP) to woo voters for gaining power," she alleged.