Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Government Over Alarming Gang-Rape Incident in Noida
Congress Leader's Outrage Over Safety Concerns
In New Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his strong disapproval of the central and Uttar Pradesh governments following the reported gang-rape of a minor on a moving bus in Noida. He emphasized that under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accountability for such crimes is unlikely, suggesting that this incident will also be overlooked.
Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, highlighted the alarming safety situation for women in the Delhi-NCR region, pointing out that a minor girl was assaulted over a distance of 47 kilometers while traveling from Greater Noida to Delhi.
He expressed disbelief that neither the Delhi nor Noida police were aware of the incident, stating in a post on X that the bus traveled through multiple checkpoints without being stopped. The bus had curtains drawn over the seats, preventing anyone from witnessing the crime, indicating a blatant disregard for law enforcement.
Gandhi questioned why, years after the infamous 'Nirbhaya' case, regulations for monitoring such buses remain unaddressed. He argued that the curtains drawn on that bus symbolize the ongoing failures of the government to ensure women's safety, leaving them vulnerable even in the capital.
He further lamented the lack of accountability for the police forces under the current administration, asserting that this crime would also be ignored.
The incident involved a 16-year-old girl who boarded a sleeper bus in Greater Noida during a rainy night earlier this month. She was allegedly gang-raped by the bus conductor and driver, who later abandoned her near Kashmere Gate, over 40 kilometers away in Old Delhi.
Authorities confirmed the arrest of the two suspects, noting that the assault occurred while the bus was in motion. This incident has drawn parallels to the tragic 2012 gang-rape and murder case in Delhi.
The girl, upset after a confrontation with her mother, had left home and intended to visit her cousin in Noida. After mistakenly disembarking at Pari Chowk in heavy rain, she was approached by the bus conductor, who falsely assured her they were heading to Sector 63. Trusting him, she boarded the bus, which was not operating on a regular service that night.
The bus had been taken for repairs earlier that day and was picked up by the accused around 5 PM. They began their journey at 9 PM, during which they picked up the girl and subsequently assaulted her before abandoning her at Kashmere Gate. She managed to reach a police station by auto-rickshaw after the ordeal.
In a video statement, DCP (North) Niharika Bhatt confirmed that the Delhi Police registered an FIR and initiated a search for the suspects without jurisdictional disputes.