Mayawati slams Congress over ‘auction’ of girls in Rajasthan to settle loans

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Monday took a dig at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's "Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon' campaign over reported auctioning of girls for loan repayment in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district.

Mayawati also asked the Rajasthan government to immediately tender an apology to the women of that state.

In a tweet, the BSP chief said, "The auctioning of girls on stamp papers in the panchayats of Rajasthan for loan repayment is a very sad incident which shames the social and government system."

"Is this the real and cruel face of the Congress party which claims 'Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon' and its state government," she said.

The 'ladki hoon lad sakti hoon' had been the focal point of Congress campaign in the recent Assembly elections led by the party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi.

Gandhi had also launched a separate manifesto for women making a slew of promises including 40 per cent reservation for women in government jobs if her party was voted to power. The party had however managed to win only two seats out of 403 Assembly seats.

In another tweet, Mayawati said, "Concerned commissions should take suo moto cognizance of this incident, however, this is not a proper solution. The Congress government there should take strict action against the culprits as well as tender an immediate apology to the women and the people of that state."

The National Commission for Women (NCW) had on Friday formed a two-member fact-finding team to look into allegations of auctioning off of girls for loan repayment in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district.

The women's panel said it had come across several media reports about girls being auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments in the district.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma had also written to the Rajasthan chief secretary and demanded urgent action and asked to apprise the commission of the action taken.

The Commission has written to the Director General of Police in Rajasthan to immediately lodge an FIR under relevant sections and arrest the accused at the earliest. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Superintendent of Police in Bhilwara.