Weren't there crimes against women during BJP rule? asks Karnataka Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday sought to know whether there were no atrocities committed on women during the BJP rule in the state even as the opposition party accused the ruling Congress of sleeping over incidents of crime against women.
His reaction comes in the wake of alleged gang rape of a Muslim woman over her interfaith relation in Haveri recently.
Seven men had allegedly barged into a hotel room and attacked the couple at Hangal in Haveri district. The survivor alleged that she was gangraped by the attackers.
The police have registered a case charging the accused with gangrape after the 26-year-old victim complained that she was sexually assaulted by them.
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Addressing reporters here, the state home minister said the government is taking action against the accused within the framework of law.
He also noted that the state government has taken various initiatives.
"Did crime against women never take place during the BJP rule in the state? What should we say about that? Should we say it was safe then?" Parameshwara asked.
Programmes under Nirbhaya scheme have been launched and various initiatives taken, he added.
"We have launched many initiatives for the safety of women. We take action and create awareness among people whenever such incidents take place," Parameshwara explained.
The Karnataka BJP unit has come down on the Congress government over the attack, alleging that a surge in crimes against women in the state reflects rampant lawlessness, and that criminals operate boldly without fear of police intervention.
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Stripped to identify religion, ears cut off: Muslim hawker from Bihar dies a week after lynching
Police deny religious angle in the case
Patna: Mohammed Athar Hussain, a 55-year-old Muslim cloth vendor, tragically died on Friday, a week after sustaining severe injuries in a horrific lynching, reported The Print.
Hussain, who made his living by selling clothes on a bicycle in the rural areas of Nawada for the last decade, is survived by his wife, Shabnam Parveen, and three children.
Before his death at a government hospital, Hussain recorded a video statement.
In the video, which is doing rounds on social media platforms, Hussain alleged that four men initially locked him in a room. They later returned late at night and, stripped him to find out his religion, identifying him as a "miyan ji" (a Muslim). He claimed the assailants then poured petrol on him, branded him with a hot iron rod, and used pliers to cut off his ear.
Furthermore, he stated, "The assault continued as some were beating with sticks, while others were using pliers to cut off my fingers and ear."
Speaking to The Print, his brother, Mohammed Shaqib, described the shock of seeing his elder brother's picture injured, telling that the family had been dealt a blow from which it would never recover.
No mention of lynching in FIR
Meanwhile, quoting Nawada Sadar SDPO Hulas Kumar, The Print reported that while the victim made serious allegations, his wife did not document the specific claim that her husband was stripped to determine his religion in her initial police complaint, dated December 6.
Furthermore, a senior police official in Patna denied this was a religious lynching, instead terming it a case of "mistaken identity" where the deceased was assaulted under suspicion of theft.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that both the murder case against the assailants and a separate theft complaint, filed by one of the accused against Hussain, are being probed to reach a logical conclusion.
The DGP told The Print that while the theft case is being investigated, the focus is clearly more on the lynching case.
Following Hussain's death, Nawada Police upgraded the charges, adding Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the offense of murder.
According to reports, police have successfully arrested nine people in connection with the assault, including four individuals specifically named in the FIR filed by Hussain’s wife.
One of the nine accused, Sikandar Yadav, is the same man who accused Hussain of theft, claiming that this accusation led to the assault.
The statements given by arrested suspects, including Sree Yadav and Ranjan Kumar, reportedly led police to the remaining five accused.
Further probe in this regard is underway.
