The Congress on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP)-led authorities of concentrating on Muslim and Dalit ladies who spoke out in opposition to the institution, citing instances of pupil protester Nishu Azad, Muslim journalists Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan, and Delhi College pupil Akriti Chaudhary.
“The BJP and [its ideological fount] RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] are anti-women. They’re anti-Dalit and anti-Muslim ladies…they usually themselves don’t come ahead. They’ve saved henchmen and goons. Their nurtured henchmen and goons are finishing up such acts in order that these individuals are indirectly concerned,” stated Congress chief Alka Lamba.
She alleged that the BJP and its supporters have been utilizing police motion, legal instances and intimidation to silence ladies protesters and journalists. Lamba demanded the arrest of influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj after a video surfaced by which he appeared to boast about assaulting Azad’s father, Sanjay Kumar, throughout the pupil protest in opposition to examination irregularities at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Bhardwaj claimed in a podcast {that a} telephone name from the Delhi BJP minister Kapil Mishra helped him keep away from jail.
Lamba confirmed Bhardwaj’s video at a press convention by which he’s purportedly heard saying, “We didn’t even go to jail. The entire world ought to know that we didn’t even go to jail. We roamed across the complete night time…there’s a little little bit of help from Kapil Mishra, our elder brother. They are saying Kapil Mishra’s name got here and we have been launched.”
Lamba stated Kumar suffered a critical head damage, but no case was lodged in opposition to Bhardwaj. She alleged that regardless of Bhardwaj utilizing caste-related language in opposition to Azad and her household, no motion had been taken below the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act or SCT/ST Act.
“A daughter from the Dalit group, whom this particular person [Bhardwaj] is insulting by calling her a ‘neela kabootar’ utilizing a caste-indicating time period. Below the Structure, for using such casteist phrases, a right away FIR [first information report] and arrest are warranted below the SC/ST Act, which the police will not be doing,” she stated.
Lamba spoke about journalists Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan from 4PM Information Community, who have been allegedly detained and assaulted whereas protecting an occasion of Union dwelling minister Amit Shah and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta at a non-public hospital in Saket on September 3.
She stated that the journalists had gone to the occasion to query Shah and Gupta concerning the loss of life of a 15-year-old reportedly present process therapy at AIIMS and the rape of a minor on a non-public bus. Lamba stated as a substitute the 2 ladies have been allegedly arrested and bodily assaulted, with the therapy worsening as soon as the police turned conscious they have been Muslim.
“They’re saying that they’re being focused based mostly on their faith. Whether or not it’s Nishu Azad or Shaheen and Nafisa. They needed solutions, however as a substitute of solutions, they have been pushed away from there and brought into police custody. They have been dropped at the Saket police station. That a lot was tremendous, however there are marks on their our bodies, critical damage marks. When have been these accidents inflicted, by whom, and why?” requested Lamba. “The order is coming from above that whether or not they’re from the Dalit or the Muslim group, the BJP authorities and its goons and the police as effectively are concentrating on them in violation of the Structure.”
Lamba demanded that CCTV footage from the hospital be examined, an FIR be registered if the allegations of assault have been established, and the personnel accountable be suspended.
Lamba stated Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Delhi College pupil, was detained below the Nationwide Safety Act (NSA) for elevating her voice for staff in Noida. “The employees’ protest that was happening in Noida, Akriti Chaudhary supported that.”
Lamba stated Chaudhary raised her voice in opposition to how the Noida district Justice of the Peace, Medha Roopam, tried to crush that protest. She accused Roopam of fabricating a case in opposition to Chaudhary to destroy her future. Lamba stated Chaudhary was saved in jail for round 5 months. “To implicate Chaudhary, she fabricated a false case and immediately, in that false case, imposed the Nationwide Safety Act and despatched her to jail…NSA was imposed to destroy her profession, her future,” she stated.
The Allahabad excessive courtroom on September 2 quashed Chaudhary’s NSA detention, calling it arbitrary and illegal. It directed authorities to pay her ₹5 lakh compensation.
Lamba stated that by making them an instance, the opposite ladies exhibiting braveness are being frightened. “So someplace mother and father additionally change into afraid and cease their kids, saying ‘don’t increase your voice, don’t go wherever to any protest’.” Lamba stated Congress will help all ladies dealing with what she described as political intimidation.