Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday met two rape victims in Uttar Pradesh —a teenaged girl who was allegedly raped by a BSP MLA in Shahbazpur village in Banda district and another dalit girl who is admitted in a hospital in Kanpur.
Mr Gandhi gave a patient hearing to the teenaged girl and assured her all possible help. Mr Gandhi also expressed concern over her security.
It may be recalled that the teen was allegedly detained and raped by a BSP MLA Purshottam Naresh Dwiwedi in December and when she threatened to report he matter to the police, she was implicated in a false case of theft and sent to jail where she spent 33 days behind the bars.
The incident triggered a public outcry prompting BSP supremo Mayawati to suspend him from the party and the MLA was arrested last month.
Mr Gandhi, earlier, was scheduled to visit Kanpur and meet a dalit girl who was maimed when she resisted a gangrape attempt in Fatehpur on Saturday. She is admitted to a hospital in Kanpur.
However, Mr Gandhi’s aircraft could not land in Kanpur due to extremely poor visibility and had to be diverted to Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress leader went by road to Banda to meet the rape victim.
Later in the afternoon, Mr Gandhi’s aircraft finally landed in Kanpur and he met the girl. He assured her family members of financial and medical help.
Hundreds of Congress workers and mediapersons gathered outside the Halett hospital were lathicharged by the police when they tried to enter the hospital with Mr Gandhi.