india

Updated: May 12, 2019 00:11 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday accused the Congress of hushing up an alleged gangrape in Rajasthan’s Alwar until polling had been held in the constituency, launching a broadside in separate election rallies in Uttar Pradesh where some areas are yet to vote.

The crime in Alwar led to protests across the state after the woman’s husband said she was raped on April 26 and the police were informed on April 30, but a first information report (FIR) was filed only on May 7. Rajasthan voted in the Lok Sabha polls in two phases, on April 29 and May 6.

“The Congress which is in power in Rajasthan has tried to suppress the news of the gangrape of a Dalit woman due to the polls in that state,” Modi said at an election meeting in Ghazipur in eastern UP.

The prime minister said the Congress cannot give ‘nyay’ (justice) to the daughters of the country, indirectly invoking the name of the income support scheme that the opposition party has promised to launch for the poorest of the poor if voted to power.

A Rajasthan Congress spokesperson denied the allegations and said the negligence was on the part of police officials. “Nobody is suppressing the matter. There was some negligence from the side of police. We have taken action against them,” said Archana Sharma, who added that the government had brought in new initiatives to help rape victims.

Modi also brought up Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s “hua toh hua” (if it happened, it happened) remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying it reflected that party’s “arrogance”. Pitroda apologised and Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the remark was out of line.

Speaking at a rally in Lucknow, Mayawati too said the Congress government in Rajasthan had suppressed news of the Alwar incident to serve its political interests. The BSP chief said the Supreme Court should take cognizance of the incident and the main accused should be given capital punishment.

“The top court should take strict action against the Congress government in Rajasthan and the police administration for suppressing the incident and intimidating the victim,” she said.

The incident in Alwar led to the removal of the district police chief, the local police station in-charge and five policemen, and the state government said a senior bureaucrat would investigate allegations of inaction and compile a report this month. Police arrested the six suspects named by the woman on May 9.

On April 26, the woman and her husband were travelling on a motorcycle when the accused, who were on two motorcycles, stopped them on the Thanagazi-Alwar bypass and took them to an isolated place off the road. They allegedly beat the husband and raped the woman in front of him, threatening them with dire consequences. One of the suspects filmed the assault on his phone.

In a report sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Rajasthan police said a case was registered on May 2 but did not mention the date when the woman approached the superintendent of police with her complaint.

HT has a copy of the report. According to the family of the gang rape survivor, the woman went to the Alwar SP’s office on April 30.

Alwar SP Rajeev Pachar was removed on May 7 and the Thana Gazi SHO Sardar Singh suspended for their alleged laxity in the case.

A protest was staged in Alwar on Saturday against the alleged delay in police action in the. The protest was led by BJP Rajya Sabha member Kirorilal Meena.

A large number of people gathered in front of a temple and blocked traffic at Roopvaas Gate in the city.

(with agency inputs)