The National Commission for Women has written to the Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh about an alleged incident in which the chief priest of a temple gave “rape threats” to women of a particular community while making a speech in UP’s Sitapur district.
The NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday wrote to the UP DGP, condemning the statement made by the accused and has demanded the registration of an FIR against him. The women’s body has also sought for his arrest at the earliest. In its letter, the Commission said that it was writing to the DGP after coming across a Twitter post enclosing a video of the priest who made the threat while addressing a gathering at the Sitapur district.
The Commission alleged that police personnel were reportedly present at the location, however, “none of them stopped him from making such outrageous statements against women.”
“Women are their target, whether it is Hindu threatening Muslims or Muslims threatening Hindus. Though we’re taking such complaints again and again and taking them up with Police, it seems cases aren’t decreasing,” the NCW Chairperson told ANI.
In the purported video mahant Bajrang Muni is heard addressing a gathering and stated that if any Hindu girl is teased by a man belonging to a particular community, he would himself rape a woman of that community. The purported video shows the audience cheering and clapping at the seer’s remarks.
“People talking like this in public about raping women of a certain community is not acceptable. We have written today itself to UP DGP and I’m going to take up this matter personally with him whether they are religious godmen or anybody, they should be taken to task,” NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said.
A copy of the NCW president’s letter has also been sent to the Superintendent of Police, Sitapur.