The Hindu
Oct 01, 2008
AIDWA demands arrest of Orissa rape accused
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has strongly condemned the “failure” of the Orissa police to arrest Sangh Parivar cadres accused of brutally gang raping a young nun on August 25 at K. Nuagaon in Kandhamal district of Orissa.
Shockingly, the assault was carried out in full public view, right in front of a police outpost with 12 policemen from the Orissa State Armed Police present and watching the atrocity. The attackers also grievously injured a priest and doused him with kerosene when he courageously tried to resist them. It is outrageous that despite the fact that both victims filed First Information Reports on the same day, not a single arrest has been made in the case although it is now over a month since the incident took place, a statement issued by AIDWA said here on Tuesday. Equally shocking is the inaction on the part of the Orissa Chief Minister who has been apprised of the facts.
“The Sangh Parivar’s attacks on the Christian and Muslim minorities are acts of terrorism that target the secular fabric of our nation. We express our deep concern about the vicious communal campaign of the Bajrang Dal-Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh-Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bharatiya Janata Party combine all over the country. There has been a huge escalation in the violence against minorities, and the targeting of women. The support extended by the State apparatus in Orissa and in Karnataka in the spread of this venom is an extremely disturbing development,” the statement said.
The AIDWA has called on all democratic and secular forces to immediately join hands and prevent the spread of communal hatred and violence. The association will hold demonstrations across the country in the first week of October to demand the arrest of the accused in the gang rape and to condemn the continuing attacks on Christians by the Sangh Parivar.
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