Jantar Mantar: Bhim Army supporters and opposition party leaders protested in Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and their supporters came to Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Friday evening in protest against the government for what they say not doing enough to stop crime against women. Hundreds of people including leaders from opposition parties also gathered there to demand justice in the alleged gang rape and murder case of a 20-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.
"We have assembled here in grief. I pray to God that our daughter's soul gets peace. I request the Uttar Pradesh government with my hands folded, hang the guilty as soon as possible. They should get such a punishment that no one will dare commit a crime like this again," Mr Kejriwal said.
"I will visit #Hathras. Our struggle will continue till the time UP CM doesn't resign, & justice is served. I urge SC to take cognizance of the incident," Mr Azad tweeted.
After sunset, the protesters lit up candles and stood holding them in the dark, as policemen watched over them.
The Delhi Police had imposed restrictions on crowds at India Gate, after which Mr Azad said the agitation had been shifted to Jantar Mantar, 3 km away. While the police order said only 100 people would be allowed at Jantar Mantar, at least 500 turned up at the protest this evening.
"The UP government has no right to stay in power. Our demand is that justice should be served," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, who attended the protest.
"The silence of the central government and the top leadership of the BJP on such a heinous crime and the UP government's response thereafter speak volumes about the authoritarian and anti-democratic chehra, chaal, charitra, and chintan of the ruling party," he said.
The date of protests was significant - Friday was Gandhi Jayanti, or the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, who was among the first to fight for oppressed members of the so-called lower castes.
The 20-year-old woman, who died on Tuesday, suffered fractures, paralysis and a spinal injury after a savage assault by four men from the so-called upper castes. The police said there was a gash in her tongue because she had bitten it while being strangled.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday attended a prayer meet at Delhi's Valmiki Temple organised amid nationwide outrage over the alleged rape and murder of the 20-year-old Scheduled Castes woman.
"We will ensure justice for our sister. We won't sit quietly till she does not get justice," she said, addressing a crowd of Congress supporters and demonstrators.
"The government did not help at all. Her family is feeling helpless. We will put political pressure on the government. She wasn't even given a cremation following Hindu customs," Ms Vadra said.
The opposition party has been at the fore of demonstrations against the incident that has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, which rules at the centre and in UP, on the receiving end of growing public outrage.