Accusing the BJP govt of subverting justice to Hathras rape and murder victim, a strong contingent of Panthers activists including women spearheaded by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP, Mr. Yashpaul Kundal and Mrs. Manju Singh Gen Secys staged a thunderous protest demonstration in Jammu today. The infuriated protesters raised the slogans of “ Hathras kand ke balatkariyon ko Fansi do, Fansi do”, “Modi ,Yogi istifa do”, “ BJP Sarkar Murdabad”, “Bhartiya Nari ka Apman, nahin Sahega Hindustan”, etc. to express the raging fury which has taken the country by storm.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that the bizarre spine chilling rape and murder incident of Hathras had not only put a mark of disgrace upon our society but also exposed the presence of fearless and cold blooded misogynist criminals posing grave insecurity to the womenfolk in view of the anarchy running in the country. “The bestiality faced by the innocent dalit girl followed by her unreligious despicable cremation in a hush hush manner during wee hours has raised millions of eyebrows over the credibility and integrity of the BJP govt. in Uttar Pradesh. What happened to your tall slogans ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao? Aren’t your hoardings and cut outs of promoting women empowerment with the pictures of your leaders playing a cruel joke with our daughters? Where is moral and fair policing? Isn’t your administration acting like a stooge to suppress the voice of the truth? Are you making an attempt to shield some ‘powerful and elite’ by subverting the justice to the dalit victim? Certainly there has been a miscarriage of justice and an attempt to cover up the whole incident and the victim girl was not even given a proper funeral”, Harsh lambasted the BJP. He said that with ever increasing cases of rapes, murders, kidnappings, etc, the law and order situation in the country had fast crumbled under BJP rule. He regretted that the humiliation, assaults amd maltreatment of mahilas and dalits even in Jammu region particularly in Ramnagar and Chenani too had failed to invite the attention of concerned authorities resulting in massive public outrage.
Mr. Yashpaul Kundal said that not only the present episode of gang rape and murder but similar cases of rapes and murders had occurred in Balrampur, Azamgarh, Buland Sheher, Laskshmipur and Kheri districts of UP in last few weeks only. He called upon Intelligentsia and civil society to come together for raising their voice against ever growing crime especially against women. “Crimes against women, poor sections, dalits and other marginalized classes would be fought vigorously by the Panthers Party”, asserted Kundal.
Dubbing the Hathras episode as most barbaric, Mr. Manju Singh lambasted the statement made by the UP police top brass ruling out the rape of the girl victim despite her statement given to the police before death coupled with the confirmation of the heinous crime stated in the medico legal investigation report prepared by forensic experts of JNMC. “With her mortal remains having been consigned to flames without the wishes of her family at the dead of night, the suspicion among the people was rife that the local administration was under the influence of the BJP govt to cover up the heinous offence which could bring the curtains down for the Saffron party. While the dalit girl was subjected to rape and homicide by the brute criminals, the police and the administration of Hathras desecrated her corpse in an attempt to wipe out the evidence. Both the perpetrators and the BJP govt. are partners in the crime. We vociferously demand a Supreme Court monitored probe into the shameful episode in conformity with the wishes of the victim’s family”, Manju said.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Anita Choudhary, Seema Rajput, Jogita Sharma, Seema Mehra, Kanta Devi, Neelam, Beena Devi, Sanjana Devi, Kajal Kumari, Rimpy Kumari, Anju Mehra, Poli Devi, Neeru Devi, Bimla Devi, Shallu, Rajesh Padgotra, Surinder Chouhan, Rakesh Gupta, Mohinder Singh, Shankaar Singh Sanju, Kala Sambyal, Gurdeep Singh Raju, Kirti Fangotra, besides others.