New Delhi, Oct 28 (FN Representative) The All India Mahila Congress on Monday demanded justice for Roshni Jaiswal alleging that the Uttar Pradesh police and the state government was harassing her after she confronted a BJP leader who ‘threatened her with rape’. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba along with Haryana MLA Vinesh Phogat highlighted how Jaiswal was being subjected to severe injustice by the Varanasi Police just because she had first raised the voice for the gang-rape victim of the Banaras Hindu University and later resisted the threats by Rajesh Singh. “It is a tragic irony that while the victim is being subjected to innumerable harassment by the police while the culprit was roaming scot-free”, she said. Lamba alleged that Rajesh Singh was not only being protected by the BJP leaders, he had also got a case under section 307 registered against Jaiswal, her husband, her brother and five other associates.
She claimed that the Varanasi administration had gone to the extent of pasting auction notice on Jaiswal’s house with beating of drums to defame and malign her. Narrating the details, Lamba alleged that when Rajesh Singh did not stop stalking and harassing Jaiswal, she along with her husband, brother and five other associates went to his house to expose him (Rajesh Singh) in front of his family members. Stating that there was an altercation and scuffle between the two sides, Lamba said, when Jaiswal lodged a complaint in the police station, Rajesh Singh was summoned there. He reached the police station along with some BJP leaders. He was let off, while Jaiswal’s husband, brother and five associates were put behind bars on September 15. “They are still languishing in jail, where they were being subjected to acute torture,” she said. The Mahila Congress president drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention for justice to Jaiswal, who was not only being stalked by Rajesh Singh, but is now being harassed along with her family by the police and the administration.
Meanwhile, wrestler-turned-Congress MLA from Haryana Vinesh Phogat said she had encountered similar mental harassment as faced by Roshni Jaiswal today. And the only reason for this is that women like them show the courage to speak against the mighty people. She said that people like Rajesh get encouraged to give threats of rape only because of protection by the BJP government. She said, though one doesn’t get to hope much in such a scenario, the country’s daughters like Roshni, Sakshi Malik and herself are there to fight and they provide a glimmer of hope. Vinesh said the PM, Home Minister and former Wrestling Federation of India President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh may forget the strength of women, but women are well aware of their strength.