Face of Nation : Senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada, placed in preventive custody by the Uttar Pradesh police today for the party’s planned protest march, asserted that the government’s move was “not the end, but the beginning”.
Senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi is “very firm on this case”, he told.The 180-km protest march from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was meant to show support for the young law student who accused BJP leader Chinmayanand of rape.
The law student was arrested last week on allegations of extortion and is in jail. Chinmayanand, meanwhile, though under arrest, has been admitted in hospital. Priyanka Gandhi has alleged that the entire administration has been “protecting” the former Union Minister.
“All our leaders are rounded up and I’m under house arrest… all supporters are held back… Sushmita Dev has been detained. Why does the BJP government think this yatra will become a law and order issue?” he questioned. “This move by the government is unacceptable… The government is trying to silence the people’s voice here,” Mr Prasada said.
In a later tweet, he said: “UP is no Kashmir yet today I am in preventive custody for simply wanting to highlight the plight of the Shahjahanpur rape victim. This BJP govt has no qualms in quashing an individual’s fundamental rights”.
Tweeting under the hashtag #BjpBhagaoBetiBachao, the Congress said, “The BJP govt in UP has detained Congress leaders for taking out a peaceful march of protest against BJP leader & rape accused, Chinmayanand. Why is the BJP govt so determined to protect such a criminal? #BjpBhagaoBetiBachao”.
The 23-year-old student has accused Chinmayananad of sexually exploiting her for a year. No rape charges have, however, been brought against Chinmayanand. He has been charged under a sub-section of the rape law for “misusing authority for sexual intercourse”.
The young woman has been charged with trying to extort Rs. 5 crore from Chinmayanand. The Special Investigation Team looking into the case said she had “confessed” to the crime.
