Being Woman Has Become Crime in Jungle Raj: Priyanka Gandhi Slams BJP Govt in Uttar Pradesh

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, accusing it of failing to address the escalating issue of crimes against women. She asserted that being a woman has become a crime in this jungle raj. Gandhi Vadra highlighted the recent suicides of two minor girls in Kanpur who were victims of gang rape, followed by their father's suicide.

कानपुर में गैंगरेप से पीड़ित दो नाबालिग बच्चियों ने आत्महत्या कर ली। अब उन बच्चियों के पिता ने भी आत्महत्या कर ली है। आरोप है कि पीड़ित परिवार पर समझौता करने का दबाव बनाया जा रहा था।

उत्तर प्रदेश में पीड़ित बच्चियां-महिलाएं अगर न्याय मांगती हैं तो उनके परिवारों को बर्बाद कर…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 7, 2024

It is alleged that pressure was being put on the victim’s family to compromise, Priyanka Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. In Uttar Pradesh, if victimised girls and women ask for justice, it has become a rule to destroy their families. From Unnao, Hathras to Kanpur, wherever women were tortured, their families were destroyed, she alleged.

Being a woman has become a crime in this jungle raj where there is no such thing as law and order left, Priyanka Gandhi said. What should crores of women of the state do and where should they go, she said. Last month, in a village near the brick kiln where they were employed in Kanpur's Ghatampur area, two girls were discovered hanging from a tree in a field. This tragic incident occurred days following allegations of rape against them.

Family members have accused the contractor of the brick kiln, Ramroop Nishad (48), along with his son Raju (18) and nephew Sanjay (19), of raping the minor girls a few days prior, as stated by Additional CP (law and order) Harish Chandra. All three suspects have been apprehended, he confirmed. There is a prevailing sentiment that in Uttar Pradesh, when girls and women who have been victimized seek justice, it often results in the destruction of their families. This sentiment has been observed in cases from Unnao and Hathras to Kanpur, where women have endured torment, leading to the devastation of their families, as alleged.

As per the families' accounts, the accused individuals had also recorded a video of the heinous act to use it as leverage for blackmail against the 16 and 14-year-old girls. This coercive tactic ultimately drove the girls to take the drastic step they did.