Opposition "Silent" Over Rape Cases In Congress-Led States: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday questioned the "silence" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on rape incidents in states ruled by his party after the opposition leader met the parents of the nine-year-old Dalit girl, who died after allegedly being sexually assaulted.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister was replying to a query on Gandhi's visit at a Cabinet briefing.

Mr Thakur said he would not like to comment on "who went to meet the victim's family in Delhi or if it was for political reasons".

He said when such rape incidents happen in many Congress-ruled states, some politicians like Rahul Gandhi have remained silent.

"It is unfortunate that they choose to see rapes and deaths of girls in those states where they are not in power and not in the states like Punjab and Rajasthan, where they have their governments," Mr Thakur told reporters.

"I feel that the law should ensure speedy justice to girls, be it from poor, rich or backward communities, and for this, the Modi government has made laws," he said.

The minister was referring to the cabinet decision to continue over 1023 fast-track special courts to ensure that victims of rape get quick justice.

Opposition parties have targeted Home Minister Amit Shah over the law and order situation.

The BJP, however, accused Rahul Gandhi of using the case for "furthering" his political agenda and asserted that the law and order machinery has moved swiftly to deliver justice to the victim''s family.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told a press conference that his party had no issue with Mr Gandhi, who visited the girl's family earlier, calling for justice but what was condemnable was the Gandhi family's "selectivism" as they never tweeted or spoke a word in the cases of atrocities against Dalit girls in the Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)