Sonia leads Opposition walkout over Unnao, Priyanka vows to fight

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 31

Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi today led the Opposition walkout from the Lok Sabha over Unnao rape case developments alleging that the government was not giving a satisfactory response on the issue.

Inside Parliament, Congress, NCP, DMK, IUML and RSP members walked out in protest and outside AICC general secretary in charge of easten Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the party would fight the battle for the Unnao rape survivor decisively.

Earlier today when the Lok Sabha session commenced, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury highlighted the alleged threats to life Unnao rape victim’s family.

Though Speaker Om Birla attempted to intervene saying the House had agreed not to raise state matters in the Lok Sabha, Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay remarked, “If law and order situation in West Bengal can be a matter of debate in the Lok Sabha, why can’t the law and order situation in UP be?” The Congress was seeking an assurance from Home Minister Amit Shah on the safety and security of the victim. “Even when the CBI investigation is on in the matter, the victim’s family is getting threats,” said Chowdhury, walking out along with other MPs.

Upon return, the Opposition members again sought to raise the matter but by then the LS had moved on to legislative business with Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat introducing the Inter-State River Water Disputes Amendment Bill 2019.

The Opposition had staged a walkout on the issue yesterday also. Today, RSP MP NK Premachandran also spoke of a matter involving the alleged burning alive of a man in Uttar Pradesh for not chanting “Jai Shri Ram”.

Later today, Priyanka Vadra tweeted picture of Congress workers staging protests in UP in support of the Unnao victim. “The ongoing travesty of justice in Unnao matter and continuing harassment of victim’s family is not possible without active support of the state government. Layers of the crime are now getting uncovered and names of BJP leaders are surfacing. The Congress is committed to justice. We will fight this battle decisively,” she said.

The Congress is demanding expulsion of accused BJP MLA in the case, Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

No statement yet from Smriti Irani

Though the National Commission for Women has taken cognisance of the Unnao matter, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has not commented on it yet. The Minister recently led the passage of amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in Parliament to make the law stringent and introduce death penalty for sexual crimes against children. The Unnao rape victim was a minor when the crime happened.