Survivor treated like criminal: Rahul Gandhi on Unnao rape victims removal from protest site; slams bail to exBJP MLA Sengar

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the manhandling of the Unnao rape survivor from India Gate, where she was protesting against the Delhi high court’s decision to suspend the life sentence of the convict and former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

Is such treatment of a gang rape survivor appropriate? Is her fault that she has the courage to raise her voice for justice? Gandhi wrote on X.

He described the high court’s order granting bail to Sengar as ‘disappointing’ and ‘shameful’. Sengar committed the crime in June 2017 and was convicted in December 2019, months after the Supreme Court shifted the trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

“Bail for rapists and treating survivors like criminals—what kind of justice is this? the Congress leader asked.

Gandhi added that India is not only a dead economy but is also becoming a dead society.” This was a reference to his earlier remark endorsing US President Donald Trump’s jibe at India and Russia.

In a democracy, raising a voice of dissent is a right, and suppressing it is a crime. The survivor deserves respect, safety, and justice—not helplessness, fear, and injustice, the Raebareli MP said.

The high court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to Sengar and suspended his life sentence in the Unnao rape case for the duration of the pendency of his appeal challenging his conviction and sentencing.

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