‘Gandhis don’t pay heed’: Minister Prakash Javadekar on alleged rape of 6-year-old girl in Punjab

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (Photo: Twitter/@INCIndia)


Reacting on the horrific rape case of 6-year-old girl in in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar took a swipe at Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

He said that the leaders stop his “political tours” and visit Punjab to “take cognisance of crime against women.

“The rape and murder of a six-year-old Dalit girl from Bihar, in Hoshiarpur’s Tanda village, is very shocking. Instead of going on political tours, Rahul Gandhi should visit Tanda and Rajasthan, and take cognisance of incidents of crime against women,” Javadekar was quoted by news agency ANI.

“Neither Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi visited the family of the victim in Tanda. They do not pay heed to the injustice done to women in the states ruled by their party, but visit Hathras and other places for photo-op with the victim’s family,” he added.

A lynch mob assaulted an accused and his grandfather, who were in police custody on charges of raping and burning a six-year-old girl of a migrant labourer in Punjab’s Tanda town.

As per the reports, the mob demanded the handover of the accused so they could punish them with their own hands and bring justice to the victim.

Gurpreet Singh and his grandfather Surjit Singh, have allegedly killed the child and then burnt her body.

The half-burnt body was found from their house, police said about the crime that took place on Thursday.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights took the  suo-moto cognizance of the crime and sought a report from the state within three days.

The girl’s half-burnt body was found at the residence of the accused in Jalalpur village in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district on Thursday evening, the police said.

The accused have been arrested on charges of murder and rape under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused were taken to a hospital in Tanda on Friday for their medical examination when the mob attacked them.

The police rescued them as the mob broke down the windowpanes of the hospital.

As per the first information report, accused Gurpreet took the girl to his home where he allegedly raped her.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has directed the Director-General of Police to ensure proper investigation and that challan is presented speedily.

“Call for fast trial and exemplary punishment to the guilty by the court,” he informed in a tweet.