Mayawati accuses Cong of suppressing Alwar gangrape incident

The BSP supremo has demanded death sentence for the accused in the Alwar gang-rape case and has requested the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance of the incident and mete out stringent action against the Congress government, police as well as the district administration. The Dalit woman's husband had claimed that the gangrape took place on April 26 and police were informed on April 30, but the FIR was filed only on May 7. He had alleged that the police did not take action against the accused owing to the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Condemning the Alwar gangrape incident, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati came down heavily on the Congress-led Rajasthan government and accused it of suppressing the incident until the general election in the state got over. It also requested the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance of the case.

"The Congress government suppressed this incident till the end of the election in Rajasthan to preserve their political benefits and threatened the family of the victim to keep quiet about it. We want the Supreme Court to act against the Congress, the police and the state administration and punish them as strictly as possible," said the BSP supremo while addressing a presser.

"The guilty in Alwar gang-rape case should be hanged till death. Supreme Court should take action against the Congress government, police and the administration in the state. This matter is not just related to Dalits but entire womanhood,” added a disgruntled Mayawati.

On April 26, the Dalit woman was riding pillion on a motorcycle with her husband, when the accused, who were on two bikes, accosted them at Thanagazi-Alwar bypass and took them to an isolated place. They allegedly beat up the husband and raped the woman in front of him, and also made a video of the crime and circulated it on social media.

The victim's husband had claimed that the gangrape took place on April 26 and police were informed on April 30, but the FIR was filed on May 7. He had alleged that police did not take action saying that they were busy with elections.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested all six accused - Indra Raj Gurjar, Mahesh Gurjar, Ashok Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar, Chhote Lal Gurjar, and Mukesh Gurjar - on charges of gangrape and filming the crime.

Mayawati also raked up the issue of the use of sexist and misogynistic remarks against women during political campaigns and requested the apex court to take suo moto cognizance of the same.

"It is most unfortunate that leaders of different political parties are continuously using abusive and derogatory language against women while campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls to serve their political motives. The Election Commission has not been able to act as strictly as it should have," said Mayawati.