Centre should be blamed for rapes in Delhi: Congress

The Delhi Congress on Monday came down heavily on the central government over the rape of a finance firm employee in a cab, blaming the BJP-led government for lack of security for women.

The Youth Congress burnt the effigy of the Prime Minister over the Friday rape and the Delhi women Congress wing also held a separate protest seeking better security for women.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said his party did not want to politicise the latest rape but challenged the central government to come clean on the reasons for the spurt in crime rate since the Narendra Modi government came to power in May.

“Delhi has not just become the rape capital but there is also a spurt in chain snatchings and other crimes against women,” he said, demanding an explanation from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the recent rape incident.

The rape has exposed the hollow claims of the central government about security arrangement in the city, he said.

He questioned the Aam Aadmi Party activists, who lit candles at Jantar Mantar after the Nirbhaya gang-rape in 2012 for not agitating as vociferously over the Friday rape as they did earlier.

“The AAP has lost touch with ground reality in the city. It will face electoral setbacks in the coming poll,” he said.

Talking about controversial BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti, he slammed the saffron party’s attempt to project her as their star campaigner.

“They planned her meeting in the communally sensitive areas without caring for its possible implications,” Sharma said.

The Delhi Congress Women’s Cell and the Indian Youth Congress also held separate demonstrations over the rape.

Onika Mehrotra, chief of Delhi Mahila Congress, said crime in the city has increased because of the lack of implementation of safety measures.

Targeting the Modi government on failure on women security and other issues, the Indian Youth Congress burnt an effigy of Modi in front of the BJP national headquarters.

With 1,221 rapes in Delhi over the last six months, the central government has failed miserably on providing a security to women, said Harsh Vardhan Shyam, national general secretary of the IYC.