Cong workers protest outside residence of PM Modi's mother

Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Hiraba lives in Raisan village.

Ahmedabad, Feb 15: Congress workers on Wednesday staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba, seeking her intervention in the Naliya gangrape case in which four BJP leaders were allegedly involved.

Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Hiraba lives in Raisan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city. Policemen rushed to the spot and detained the Congress workers, mostly women.

These protesters were demanding Hiraba's intervention in the gangrape case, claiming that Modi would surely listen to his mother's call for punishment to the culprits. "We have briefly detained around 35 Congress workers, mostly women, as they sat on a dharna and shouted slogans outside Hiraba's home in Raisan village near Gandhinagar. No untoward incident took place during the demonstration," said Info City police inspector K M Priyadarshi.

These Congress workers alleged that police were trying to shield the real culprits involved in the gangrape in Naliya town of Kutch district. "The entire nation and media took notice of your gesture of standing in a bank queue during demonetisation. Now, we urge you to stand with the victim, which will force the government and police to take action.

"We also urge you to talk to your son on the issue so that many other victims can be saved," said a letter addressed to Hiraba which could not be handed over due to the detention.

Till now, police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped a married women in Naliya town on several occasions. Those who were arrested included four local BJP leaders, who have been suspended from the party.

In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions a year ago. The victim has alleged in her FIR that the accused have been running sex racket in Kutch district and forcing victims to have sex with numerous persons after blackmailing them by making video of the act.

PTI