India is Waiting: Rahul Urges PM to Break Silence on Kathua and Unnao

New Delhi: A day after leading a midnight candlelight march protesting the Kathua and Unnao rape case, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Modi over his silence on violence against women.

Rahul said the PM’s silence was “unacceptable” and that “India is waiting”.

He said it was time for Modi to walk the talk on 'beti bachao' (save the girl child).

Directly addressing the PM on Twitter, Gandhi also asked why accused rapists and murderers were "protected" by the state.

Earlier in the day, Rahul thanked "thousands of men and women" who stood with him in protesting the rising acts of violence against girls and women and said their battle for justice would not be in vain.

Gandhi was joined last night by his sister Priyanka, her husband Robert Vadra and scores of Congress leaders, party workers and others, some carrying candles and placards against the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir while demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of the two incidents.

In Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community disappeared near her house on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area.

A Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destroying evidence.

In Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, a teen alleged that she was raped by ruling BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was detained for questioning early today. She alleged she was raped by the MLA at his residence on June 4, 2017 where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.

After filing of the case, her father was booked by the police under the arms act on April 3 this year and put in jail on April 5.