Rahul reaches India Gate to lead midnight march against atrocities on women

New Delhi [India], Apr. 13 (ANI): Demanding action against accused of Unnao and Kathua rape cases, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has reached here to hold a midnight candlelight march.

Expressing distress over the rape of 18-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district and gangrape and murder of eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, the Congress party has organised the midnight march here and appealed everyone to join it.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not taking action against his ministers who are trying to save the rape accused.

Talking to ANI, Leader of the Opposition Azad said "The government is sleeping and so at this time Congress will have to wake them up. Prime Minister had given a slogan 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' (Save the Daughter, Teach the Daughter) and it is during his regime that our girls are being raped. He is not taking action against his ministers who are trying to save the rape accused."

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid took to Twitter and said, "PM Modi reflects on what your ideology is doing o India. Asifa was silenced but she must live on in our hearts so that humanity does not die and become silent too. Vampires are slowly killing our soul."

Stressing on the fact that the protest was a non-political one, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the "Sab chalta hai" (everything is OK) attitude will not do and the government needs to do something regarding the issue.

"It is a protest to ensure that a government blinded by political power does something about the situation," he said.

Rahul Gandhi's sister and brother-in-law Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra, respectively, have also joined the protest with another prominent leader like Ambika Soni, Shobha Ojha, Ajay Maken and others.

Earlier in the day, Rahul took to Twitter and said, "Like millions of Indians my heart hurts tonight. India simply cannot continue to treat its women the way it does. Join me in a silent, peaceful, candlelight vigil at India Gate at midnight tonight to protest this violence and demand justice." (sic)

On April 8, the rape victim, along with her family members, tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow. Later, the victim's father was taken into police custody from the location.

The matter intensified after the victim's father allegedly died in the police custody on April 9.

The eight-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe in Kathua district was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed in January. (ANI)