Congress Woman Worker Accuses Men of Molestation at Kathua Protest

If even the protest that we hold against cases of rapes are not safe, then one cannot expect safety anywhere. At a recent candlelight march held in Mumbai, against Kathua and Unnao rape cases a woman Congress worker has alleged that her male colleagues molested her. She has complained about the offence to the party's city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam.

Nirupam has promised her that the unit will take strict actions against those found guilty. The party had organised the candle march in Juhu on this Sunday.

Nirupam told PTI that the woman, who is a district-level party worker, sent him a text message about the incident.

The woman had written in her message, “The workers of Youth Congress and NSUI (party's students' wing) stooped to such low levels that they touched, pushed and shoved women workers in an inappropriate manner, making us feel unsafe among our very own party's male colleagues.

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“This incident is very unfortunate and I condemn it. I told the woman that we would take action if she identifies the persons involved. I told her that if she wished, he would help her file police cases against the accused. But she told me there was too much crowd, so it won't be possible for her to identify them.

"Sadly, some male workers did this to us only to get ahead in the march so that media captured their faces. I want to know if women workers will feel safe in similar events held in future?”

Nirupam said, “This incident is very unfortunate and I condemn it. I told the woman that he would take action if she identifies the persons involved. I told her that if she wished, he would help her file police cases against the accused. But she told me there was too much crowd, so it won't be possible for her to identify them.”

He praised the woman for enthusiastically participating in all dharnas and morchas that the city unit organises.

“She does not participate alone, but brings along with her over a dozen women members. I have apologised to her for the agony she had to suffer on Sunday. Male workers often rush ahead in any morchas, so that their faces can be seen on television cameras,” he said.

As a precautionary measure, Nirupam has resolved to set dos and don'ts that people will have to follow during the protest marches or morcha when women are also participating in large numbers.

"We will take action if people don’t follow the instructions," he said.

Picture credit- Hindustan Times

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