With Rewari gang-rape victim’s mother returning state government’s compensation cheque given to her daughter, Haryana Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Naveen Jaihind on Tuesday courted the controversy saying that his party will pay “Rs 20 lakh to any Bharatiya Janata Party neta who gets raped by 10 people”.
Speaking to a reporter after meeting the rape victim and her family, Jaihind said it was unfortunate that instead of arresting the accused, the state government offered Rs Two Lakh compensation to the victim.
“The most shameful thing here is that the family is offered a Rs Two Lakh cheque. The family is demanding the arrest of culprits, they are saying that they don’t need Rs 2 lakh,” Jaihind said.
“I offer to pay Rs 20 lakh to BJP politicians if they allow ‘kukarm’ (sinful act) on themselves by 10 people, are they valuing someone’s honour at Rs Two lakh,” he added.
The AAP leader, who will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the next year state assembly elections, said the Manohar Lal Khattar- led BJP government in the state has completely failed on the issue of women safety.
“Our Chief Minister Khattar has become a Dhritarashtra… the government has completely failed… it’s ‘kaurava’ rule in the state,” Jaihind, who is the husband of Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, said. He is considered close to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
A 19-year-old girl, a school topper, hailing from Rewari, was abducted from a bus stop in Kanina town in Mahendragarh district last Wednesday while she was on her way to a coaching class. The girl was allegedly drugged and gang-raped at a room adjoining a tubewell in an agricultural field.
The rape victim’s mother had on Sunday said that she will return the compensation cheque given to her daughter. She stressed on the need to attain justice for her daughter and not compensation.