BJP has history of turning a blind eye to atrocities against weak: Congress on Sagar incident

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) Congress on Monday attacked the BJP government at Centre and Madhya Pradesh state government saying that now women are stripped naked and humiliated on a routine basis and the BJP will never protect them as they have a long history of turning a blind eye to atrocities against the weak.

Congress General Secretary (organisation) K.C Venugopal said: “First Manipur, now MP. Under the BJP rule, women are stripped naked and humiliated on a routine basis. Be it Dalits or tribals or minorities, the BJP will never protect them - they have a long history of turning a blind eye to atrocities against the weak.”

He said that every single day, Madhya Pradesh is giving us stories of the complete subjugation of Dalits and tribals.

“In retaliation to a sexual harassment complaint, the victim's brother was killed, her mother humiliated. What is the Chief Minister doing? Why are (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah silent on this huge spate of violence?

“This is the culture set by the 18-year rule of BJP in MP, and nine-year rule of Prime Minister Modi at the Centre. Their silence proves their complicity, yet again,” the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said.

The remarks from the Congress leader came after a Dalit youth was beaten to death and his mother allegedly stripped and assaulted by a group of men in poll bound Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district.

The shocking incident happened on Thursday late night in Barodia Naungar village in the district. The accused also vandalised the Dalit family’s house. The deceased’s mother said police gave her a towel to wrap herself, after they rushed to the spot following the incident.

At least nine persons belonging to the OBC community and the minority community have so far been arrested under IPC Sections pertaining to murder, sexual harassment and voluntarily causing hurt.

Police said that a group of men led by prime accused Vikram Singh (28) stormed into the house of 20-year-old Nitin Ahirwar on Thursday late night and forced him to withdraw a 2019 case of sexual harassment of Ahirwar’s sister by Vikram and family members.

When Ahirwar refused, the attackers mercilessly assaulted him with sticks and rods. As alleged by his mother, when she came to save her son, the accused men stripped her and thrashed her. The critically hurt Dalit youth was subsequently rushed to the Bundelkhand Medical College in Sagar district only, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.