Women's security cannot be expected from those facilitating release of rapists: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the BJP over the alleged kidnapping and murder of two Dalit girls in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, saying women's security cannot be expected from those facilitating the release of rapists.
The two teenage sisters were found hanging from a tree in a sugarcane field located about a kilometre away from their house in Nighasan police station limits in Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday, police said.
Six people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the rape and murder of the two girls.
"The kidnapping and murder of two minor Dalit sisters in Lakhimpur in broad daylight is a very disturbing incident," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Women's safety cannot be expected from those facilitating the release of rapists and welcoming them," the former Congress chief said in an apparent reference to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case being set free last month from the Godhra sub-jail after the BJP-led Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy.
Gandhi also stressed on the need to create a safe environment in the country for women.
As soon as the news about the alleged murder of the Dalit girls broke, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over "increasing" crimes against women in the state.
"The killings of two sisters in Lakhimpur (UP) are heart-wrenching. The relatives say that the girls were abducted in broad daylight," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Giving false advertisements in newspapers and television every day does not improve law and order. After all, why are heinous crimes against women increasing in Uttar Pradesh?" the Congress general secretary said.
When will the government wake up, she asked.
Lakhimpur Kheri Superintendent of Police (SP) told reporters, "We have arrested Junaid, Sohail, Hafizur Rehman, Karimuddin, Arif and Chottu in an overnight operation."
"As per preliminary investigation, the two sisters left their home on Wednesday afternoon on the persuasion of Junaid and Sohail. Junaid and Sohail have confessed that they strangulated the girls after raping them," said the SP.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
