Hundreds Gather in Delhi to Speak Out Against Unnao & Kathua Rapes

Protesters hold placards in solidarity in Delhi on Sunday, 15 April. 

(Photo: Deeksha Sharma/The Quint)

Hundreds of people gathered at Delhi’s Parliament Street on Sunday, 15 April, to protest against the alleged incidents of rape in Kathua and Unnao that have shaken the conscience of the nation in the last few days.

The protests in Delhi were led by Gurugram-based filmmaker Saba Dewan. Students and artistes vented their anger over the incidents and claimed that Muslims in the country were living in fear.

Today we mourn the rape and murder of a little girl in Kathua. Her crime was that she belonged to the Bakarwal Muslim community that the Hindutva forces want out of the area. Her rape and murder are part of a larger narrative of communal violence with women’s bodies being used as a battlefield.

Saba Dewan

The participants at the protest sought immediate arrest of the two BJP ministers, who led rallies of the Hindu Ekta Manch in Kathua on 1 March in support of the accused in the rape and killing of the eight-year-old girl, reported PTI.

Some protesters also demanded immediate dismissal of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly shielding his party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping a minor, it was further reported.

Deepika Singh Rajawat and Talib Hussain, the lawyers demanding justice for the eight-year-old rape victim in Kathua, also spoke at the protests in Delhi and expressed their deep anguish over the incident.

Protesters held placards in solidarity, with pleas to create a safe environment for women and to punish the guilty in the rape cases.

Several cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Chennai, have seen protests against the alleged incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua in the last few days.

On Thursday, 12 April, Congress president Rahul Gandhi led a midnight vigil in Delhi protesting against the two incidents.