RG Kar victim's mother alleges police roughed her up without provocation, broke her bangles
Kolkata, Aug 9 (PTI): The mother of the RG Kar victim on Saturday alleged that she was roughed up by women police personnel while on her way to join a march to West Bengal state secretariat 'Nabanna', called to mark one year of the rape and murder of her daughter in a state-run hospital.
She claimed that in the scuffle, her 'shankha' (traditional conch shell bangle) was broken and she sustained a head injury.
"Why are they stopping us like this? All we want is to reach Nabanna and seek justice for my daughter," she said.
The rally participants demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "failing to protect women".
The RG Kar victim's father also alleged that the police tried to prevent the family from reaching Dorina Crossing to join the march, despite court permission for a peaceful rally.
Police baton-charged protesters at the Park Street crossing in central Kolkata as agitators tried to breach the barricades in their attempt to head towards the Vidyasagar Setu after ignoring police warnings not to move beyond the Rani Rashmoni Road assembly point.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, along with BJP leader Agnimitra Paul and other party MLAs held a sit-in at the Park Street-J L Nehru Road crossing, while alleging that more than 100 protesters, including Adhikari and other BJP leaders, were injured in police action.
Adhikari also claimed that the parents of the RG Kar victim were injured during the lathi charge.
Tight security arrangements were made along the route, with protesters scuffling with the police at Santragachi in Howrah district.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Women BJP MLAs protest against opposition in UP assembly premises
Lucknow (PTI): Women BJP MLAs held a protest in the Vidhan Bhawan complex before the one-day special session of Uttar Pradesh assembly, slamming the opposition for defeating the passage of a bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Law, in the Lok Sabha.
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading public in the name of women's reservation.
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the assembly premises, holding banners inscribed with the slogan "Insult to Matrushakti (women's power), India will not tolerate it". The protesting members entered the main hall of Vidhan Bhawan carrying the banners.
Participating in the protest, the state Minister for Women Welfare and Child Development, Baby Rani Maurya, told reporters that all opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed the women's reservation, a stance for which they would have to pay a heavy political price.
"On this issue, all of us women stand united. We will ensure that we secure our reservation," she said.
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that their protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Singh asserted that the opposition has betrayed women by creating hurdles in the path of women's reservation. The current demonstration is merely the beginning, and very soon, women from every street, intersection and household will join the protest movement, she said.
Minister Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, "We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back 'half the population' (women). Their action was directed against the very bill that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced to empower and strengthen Nari Shakti (women's power), and which he strived to pass expeditiously."
Uttar Pradesh assembly is holding a one-day special session on Thursday. During the session, the government is set to move a censure motion against the opposition parties over their failure to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, in the Lok Sabha.
