Women members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday condemned the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the BJP for the violence that broke out in Ramjas college last week. The leaders also criticised the Delhi Police for ‘siding with the ABVP’ and not taking action against the ‘goons’.
Addressing a press conference held at the AAP’s office, senior leader Atishi Marlena said: “The ABVP’s gundagardi across Delhi University has made it clear that those who believe in a certain ideology have now been given absolute authority from the Prime Minister to assault and silence any contrasting voices”.
Concerns over safety
A delegation of the AAP’s women leaders will meet Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on Tuesday urging him to take action against the ABVP.
Expressing concern over the safety of women in the city, Ms. Marlena said that the manner in which the young Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur received rape threats on social media is absolutely shocking and horrific.
“Threatening women who oppose you with sexual violence is not how our democracy functions. Why is the Delhi Police not taking any action against these attempts to threaten Gurmehar? Is this not a cognisable offense?” Ms. Marlena asked.
‘Vitiated atmosphere’
Sharing her experiences of her college days, AAP MLA Sarita Singh said that she graduated from Delhi University five years ago: “The student community had ideological differences, but were always united on issues affecting women. The way the ABVP assaulted young female students and now Gurmehar has been threatened with rape shows the deeply anti-women politics of the BJP. In two years, they have vitiated the atmosphere completely”.
