There should be no politics in harassment of women and children: BJP

New Delhi: Condemning the Opposition Congress for giving a political colour to Kathua and Unnao cases, the BJP on Friday said strictest action will be taken against the guilty.Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said Kathua rape has been condemned in a resolution by the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP. 'The party Working Committee in the state has said that strictest possible punishment should be given to the guilty but we have to ensure that the innocent are not harmed.'The groundswell of horror against gory gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and the gangrape of another in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have grown across the country.

'On April 1 itself, the BJP working committee presented and passed a resolution, condemning the incident,' Ms Lekhi said. The state BJP also said the ghastly incident was against humanity and condemned that the case was given political colour, she stated.In January, an eight-year-old girl was gang-raped repeatedly inside a village temple, kept sedated for hours, and raped again just before being killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua by six men.

Ms Lekhi said six-seven people have been arrested in the case. Jammu Bar Association president BS Slathia, who talks of justice on one hand and closing the High Court on other, was the polling agent of Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, she said. 'Slathia was the polling agent of Ghulam Nabi Azad Ji, which shows what type of disgusting politics is being played,' she said.Ms Lekhi said yesterday, BJP MPs across were on fast to protest the Opposition stalling the business in Parliament, but it was not reported anywhere. 'The media was only talking about Kathua and Unnao incidents,' she stated.

Reaffirming her commitment towards women and children, Ms Lekhi said, 'As woman leader and party spokesperson, I stand with with women and children affected by such crimes. An unfortunate incident has taken place and the guilty should be punished. I spoke on various platforms, but nothing was seen in media.''Country belongs to all of us. we should act responsibly so that guilty are not let off. We have to ensure that situation is not worsened,' she reiterated.Clearing a few facts, Ms Lekhi said in Kathua, a fair investigation has taken place and punishment was asked for the guilty. Crime branch was handed over the matter and 6-7 people were arrested.

A Special Investigation Team was constituted. In Hiranagar, the case was sent to the CJM, she said.'If children and women are tortured, we stand by them. There is no other option for the country,' she said, adding that the woman lawyer in this case says that she was being pressured in the case.

'In Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, the incident occurred 10 months ago in June. The woman went missing. A case was filed against two people -- Shubham and Avadesh. On June 22, a case was registered before magistrate against kidnappers but name of the BJP MLA was not given.'All the due investigation has taken place in both the cases, but in between in April, a 12-year girl in Assam was raped and burnt to death after pouring kerosene over her, but the case was not seen in media, she said. 

Some chosen cases from states were being brought and misinformation was being spread, she said, adding that cases women and children should not be politicised.Ms Lekhi said CMO Diwedi and Doctor in emergency Prashant were taken into custody for giving a report that the girl's father, who got injured in a scuffle, was fit to be sent to jail in Unnao case. He died later.SP Kunwar Bahadur Singh has also been suspended, she said. The BJP MLA in Unnao case has also taken in CBI custody. The case was taken to ADG level and five-member SIT was constituted, the BJP leader said.

Chaudhary Lal Singh, minister for forest, and Chander Prakash Ganga, minister for commerce and industries, attended an event organised by Hindu Ekta Manch, an outfit that has been protesting against the arrests in the case. Both the ministers had addressed the rally and called the police action against the rape accused as 'jungle raj'.Condemnung their stands, Ms Lekhi said,'We do not stand with individual people. Let the law take its own course. when You are in public life, 50-200 people can be misguided and mis-supported.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal singh who is the leader of the House, made statement a statement condemning the incident, she said.On Congress president Rahul Gandhi holding a candle march to protest against the Modi government and the state governments in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, demanding urgent action, Ms Lekhi said he never held any candle march after 1984 riots or even in nirbhaya case. He should stop his pick and choose policy, Ms Lekhi said.

Parliament was not allowed to function and Rs 90 lakh crore budget was passed without debate, she said and added that Opposition should have allowed Parliament to run if they wanted to raise state issues.On Thursday, Union minister VK Singh had express his anguish at the horrific incident."We have failed her as humans. But she will not be denied justice," tweeted Singh about the eight-year-old in Kathua. (UNI)