Congress leaders Alka Lamba and Vinesh Phogat during a press conbference at the AICC headquarters, in New Delhi, Monday, October 28, 2024.
Credit: PTI photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh Police and government of targeting a woman IYC leader and her family after she slapped a BJP worker over alleged "rape threats" issued by him on social media, and asserted that it will take the fight to a logical conclusion.
The opposition party said the Varanasi-based Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader Roshni Kushal Jaiswal went to the house of the BJP worker and slapped him twice after police did not take action over rape threats issued against her.
Addressing a press conference here along with Haryana MLA and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba said Jaiswal has been targeted by the police and administration for raising voice against BJP leaders and particularly against ruling party worker 'Saffron' Rajesh Singh.
Lamba said Jaiswal's husband and brother along with five members of her team have been jailed and orders to attach her property issued.
"We are telling you the story of Roshni Jaiswal, a daughter of Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave the slogan 'Beti Bachao'. A man named Rajesh Singh has been following Roshni for four years and threatening to rape her," Lamba said.
With no action taken against Singh despite repeated complaints, Roshni Jaiswal went to his house with her husband and brother and there was a scuffle. Roshni slapped Singh a couple of times after which her family had been put in jail, Lamba said.
"Today Rajesh Singh is roaming free, but Roshni's family is in jail. Roshni is going from door to door with her nine-year-old child and old parents and is pleading for justice," she said.
Phogat said that as a woman, a daughter, a sportsperson, and now as an MLA, she can assure every woman that the fight the women wrestlers and their associates began on the streets has brought her to the legislative assembly and she would stand by any daughter who feel something wrong is happening to her.
Neither the Uttar Pradesh government nor the Uttar Pradesh Police have taken any action against Rajesh Singh. "Such people hiding behind saffron cloak have the protection of the government. Will there ever be action against them?" Phogat said.
"I have very little hope from the government but it is important to keep the ray of hope alive," the wrestler-turned-politician said.
She said Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and a "criminal" like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh may forget about the power of the 50 per cent population but women have not forgotten it and will fight.
"Be it Roshini Jaiswal, athletes - We have to stand with Rohini Jaiswal and in all such cases, we will have to take this fight to a logical conclusion. The whole country is seeing the policies of the BJP, their attitude towards women, the fight is on. It will continue till Rohini Jaiswal gets justice and those who made indecent remarks against her are punished," Phogat said.
Lamba alleged that Rajesh Singh, who threatened Jaiswal with rape, is roaming free and is continuously posting on social media and thanking BJP leaders because they did not let any action be taken against him.
"We want to ask the DM and police administration of Varanasi that where has 'Saffron' Rajesh Singh been for the last 40 days?" she said.
Following Jaiswal and her family's altercation with BJP worker Rajesh Singh on September 15, the latter's wife filed a police complaint over the alleged assault.
Last week, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate had also raised the issue and said, "Does the police administration want a woman to silently bear the threat of rape?" She had shares a video of Jaiswal, in which she recounted her experience of facing online threats and the subsequent action by authorities in the case.
In the video, Jaiswal said, "I am the same Roshni Kushal Jaiswal who slapped Rajesh Singh, a BJP supporter, who had threatened to rape me on September 15." After this, a case was registered against her under several sections, including 307, due to which she has been absconding for 40 days, her husband and brother have been in jail and a court has ordered her property to be attached, she had said.
"Was it so wrong to slap the person who threatened to rape that my family was destroyed?" Jaiswal had said in the video.
"I want to request every woman with folded hands that if you are facing rape threats, do not raise your voice. Tell your husband and family members to wear bangles. If they raise their voice, they will go to jail," Jaiswal had said.
Countering Srinate's claims, state BJP spokesperson Harischandra Srivastava had said she should look at the facts before making public statements. He said in the Yogi Adityanath administration, the law treats everyone equally and that no individual has the right to take the law into their own hands.
Vivek Shankar Tiwari, Singh's counsel, said that Jaiswal and her supporters had attacked the BJP worker outside his home, leading to an FIR filed by his wife, Anu. The ongoing legal proceedings have resulted in a court order to attach Jaiswal's property due to her absence in court, he said.