Weekly Political Roundup: Kathua, Unnao and the opportunistic silence

The condemnation of horrific Kathua and Unnao rape cases from the Prime minister and the ruling party came only after the public outrage.

The Indian politics never ceases to amaze. This time the political parties returned to older ways to protest but with a new twist. Dalit atrocities were still at the forefront this week. The Congress staged a nation-wide fast to protest the atrocities committed against the Dalit community and SC/ST act amendment. BJP too, followed the suite and staged a day-long fast to protest the parliament impasse. While PM Modi continued his scheduled visit to Defence expo on the day of fast, several BJP Ministers and MPs staged fast throughout the country. Taking a jibe at this Fast politics of BJP, former NDA ally TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu said that this theatrics will not solve the real problems and accused the BJP of weakening the allies.

The noisiest news among all was the Prime Minister’s silence on the Unnao and Kathua rape cases. The condemnation from the Prime minister and the ruling party came only after the public outrage and a candlelight march by Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanding the PM to speak up.

Congress Fasts against Dalit atrocities:

Intensifying its attack on the Modi-led government, Congress observed a day-long fast on Monday across the country. Congress President Rahul Gandhi led the nation-wide fast. Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to arrive at the venue at 11 AM and mark his presence till 4 PM. However, the fast event in Delhi stirred a controversy when Anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar was spotted on the stage. Estimating the possible backlash, Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken asked both of them to leave the spot. However, while talking to a news agency, Tytler refuted the claim and said he was not asked to leave the site.

The fast also drew criticism after the picture of its Delhi leader hopping on Chhole Bhature earlier that day surfaced on the internet. The BJP slammed the Congress for making a mockery out of the protest fast.

You can read the detailed report on Congress Fasts against Dalit atrocities, here:

Congress Fast: Rahul Gandhi to fast from 11 AM to 4 PM, Jagdish Tytler’s presence stirs controversy

Chandrababu Naidu alleges BJP of weakening the allies:

Prime Minister Modi’s announcement of holding a hunger strike didn’t go down well with the Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu who pulled out of the Narendra Modi government last month. He accused the Prime Minister of playing diversionary tactics. Terming the day-long hunger strike ‘ridiculous’, Chandrababu Naidu said that it is an attempt to run away from the issues raised by the opposition.

The party had left the NDA government over Andhra Pradesh Special category status demand. When asked why the Centre did not help the Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the BJP wanted to weaken the TDP to get the control over the state. He said the BJP wanted the TDP to surrender before it.

You can read the detailed report on Chandrababu Naidu alleges BJP of weakening the allies, here:

“BJP wanted to weaken the allies”: Chandrababu Naidu

The relation between Telugu Desam Party and BJP is soured

BJP holds a nation-wide Fast:

Following the footsteps of Congress, BJP on April 12 staged a day-long hunger strike. BJP leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis observed a day-long fast in the different parts of the country. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to continue his schedule of attending the Defence Expo in Chennai, Party president Amit Shah participated in the sit-in Dharna at Hubbali in Karnataka.

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar and BJP MP Paresh Rawal attended the day-long fast. While Railway Minister Piyush Goyal too observed the fast at Thane, Union Health Minister J P Nadda fasted in PM Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

Here too, the party members couldn’t resist their hunger pangs and several MLAs were spotted feasting on the day of Fast itself.

You can read the detailed report on BJP holds a nation-wide Fast, here:

The fast politics: BJP leaders stage a nation-wide protest; Congress calls it “Farsical”

Rahul Gandhi leads candle-light march against Kathua and Unnao rapes:

Congress President Rahul Gandhi led a candle-light march organized to protest the horrific Unnao and Kathua rape case, on Thursday. Gandhi was also accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra and their daughter Miraya.

The midnight march was called by the Congress President in the wake of Kathua rape case where an eight-year-old girl was gang-raped and killed brutally and Unnao rape case where a BJP MLA was accused of raping a minor and assaulting her father to death.

On Thursday evening Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Like millions of Indians my heart hurts tonight. India simply cannot continue to treat its women the way it does.” He also called for a peaceful candlelight march at Delhi’s India Gate to protest the “violence and demand justice for the victims”.

Condemning the horrific rapes, Rahul Gandhi said that the party is not trying to politicise the issue. “We want the government to resolve the matter, women should at least feel safe,” Rahul Gandhi said. Terming the Kathua gangrape a crime against Humanity, Rahul Gandhi asked, “How can anyone protect the culprits of such evil?

You can read the detailed report on Rahul Gandhi leads candle-light march against Kathua and Unnao rapes, here:

Rahul Gandhi leads candlelight march against the government inaction in Kathua and Unnao rape cases

Unnao rape accused BJP MLA arrested:

Following the verdict of Allahabad High Court, the CBI on Friday arrested the Unnao BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar- accused in the rape case. The two-judge bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar was hearing the case. The senior advocate Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi had written to them demanding a court-monitored investigation of the case, which was treated as a PIL.

The court in its 20-page verdict made several scathing remarks on the situation of law and order machinery in the state. The Court observed, “The disturbing feature of the case is that the law and order machinery and the government officials were directly in the league and under the influence of Kuldeep Singh.” The judges also lashed out at the state law enforcement over the tampering of evidence and intimidation of the victim. The court also took cognizance of the arrest of victim’s father and the assault he faced in the judicial custody.