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Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka react to Ujjain rape case: ‘Entire nation stunned, wondering…’

The incident came to light after a video of the rape, recorded by unidentified persons, went viral on social media.

Updated on: Sep 6, 2024, 21:30:01 IST
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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday reacted to the incident of a woman being raped on a public footpath in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (PTI)
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (PTI)

The incident came to light after a video of the rape, recorded by unidentified persons, went viral on social media.

In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the entire nation is stunned and is wondering where our society is headed.

“The incident of a woman being assaulted in broad daylight on the sidewalk in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely horrifying. Today, the entire nation is stunned, wondering where our society is headed. According to reports, instead of rescuing the woman, passersby were making videos,” Priyanka Gandhi wrote on X.

“Such an incident on the sacred land of Ujjain has brought shame to humanity,” she added.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also reacted to the incident in Ujjain and the incident in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar where an ambulance driver and his helper from Lucknow’s Ghazipur area sexually harassed the wife of a patient.

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“The continuously rising crimes against women and the police administration’s attitude towards the victims and their families are proof of the system's cruelty and a serious matter of concern for the nation,” Gandhi wrote on X.

“Propaganda-centric governments have given birth to an insensitive system to create a false image of themselves, the biggest victims of which are women. The time has come to make serious efforts toward the moral upliftment of society for women's safety—strict measures must be taken at social, political, and administrative levels,” he added.

Ujjain rape case

According to the police, the woman, a scrap collector, was raped by a man after he forced her to consume liquor in Agar Naka area of Ujjain. The incident came to light after its video went viral on social media.

Superintendent of Police (CSP) Om Prakash Mishra said the main accused, Lokesh, had promised to marry the woman. He has been arrested.

“On Wednesday, he forced her to drink liquor and raped her. Some people, who were passing by, shot videos of the incident instead of stopping the crime,” Mishra said, according to PTI.

The police also identified three to four suspects, who allegedly shot the video of the rape, and efforts were on to nab them.

Also Read | How credible are official stats on sexual violence against women?

Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari questioned the silence of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the issue.

"BJP is protesting across the country against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder incident...A woman was raped in Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav's constituency. Why is MP CM Mohan Yadav, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, PM Modi silent?... There is 'Jungle Raaj' in Madhya Pradesh. No one is safe in Madhya Pradesh...BJP leaders should also look at these kinds of incidents that are happening in MP..." he had said.

The BJP, however, claimed that the accused has been arrested in the case and stern action will be taken. It also accused the Congress of creating a controversy.

“Congress party has no issues to corner the Madhya Pradesh government and that's why they try to give such a tone to the incident…”Madhya Pradesh BJP chief and MP VD Sharma had said, according to ANI.

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