Why are DMK women leaders silent on student sexual assault case, asks BJP leader Khushbu Sunder

CHENNAI: BJP leader Khushbu Sundar flayed the ruling DMK, especially its women leaders on Thursday on the Anna University student sexual assault case and sought to know where that party's women wing leaders or MP Kanimozhi was.

Accusing the DMK women leaders of not coming in support of the victim who would be feeling insecure all her life, Khushbu said one should rise above party affiliation and strive together to ensure justice for the survivor. "Why no DMK women leaders have raised their voices in support of the affected girl student? Where is DMK MP Kanimozhi? Why is there silence on the Anna University incident?" Khushbu asked while addressing the media here.

She wanted to know what action the State Women's Commission had taken on the issue. "There's a complete failure of law and order in the state. Permission is denied for others to stage agitation and leaders from the BJP like Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and PMK leader Sowmya Anbumani are arrested if they agitate asking for justice for the girl student," Khushbu said.

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She appealed to the parties not to politicise the sexual assault incident but ponder on the life-long impact the crime would have on the student's mind, and work together to provide justice to the victim. BJP Tamil Nadu Mahila Morcha president Uma Rathi Rajan said the party's women wing members would take out a yatra for justice for the 19-year-old student on Friday.

The student was sexually assaulted on the university campus on Christmas Eve. The police arrested a man in connection with the incident. "We are going ahead with our rally tomorrow on behalf of the BJP. It doesn't matter if we are arrested," they told reporters. The yatra for justice from Madurai to Chennai will cover a distance of 456 km.