Won't go in vain: Rahul Gandhi thanks 'thousands' who supported him in protest at India Gate against rape cases

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday thanked the "thousands of men and women" who gathered at the India Gate on Thursday midnight to protest against the recent cases of rapes in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. 

In a tweet on Friday, he said: "Thousands of men and women stood up to be counted in the battle for justice and to protest the rising acts of violence against girls and women. I thank each and every one of you for your support. It shall not be in vain." 

Thousands of men and women stood up to be counted in the battle for justice and to protest the rising acts of violence against girls and women.

I thank each and every one of you for your support. It shall not be in vain. pic.twitter.com/IWMtQSXV4m — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 13, 2018

Rahul had led a midnight march to India Gate and said it was time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the talk on 'beti bachao' (save the girl child). Calling for a protest, he had on Thursday asked people to gather at India Gate to carry out a silent vigil against the cases of crime against women "Like millions of Indians my heart hurts tonight. India simply cannot continue to treat its women the way it does. Join me in a silent, peaceful, candlelight vigil at India Gate at midnight tonight to protest this violence and demand justice," he had tweeted calling for support.

He was joined by his sister Priyanka, her husband Robert Vadra and scores of Congress leaders, party workers and others. Protestors carried candles and placards against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir while demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of the two incidents.

Claiming that the protest was not a political one, Rahul had said: "We are here against crimes being committed against women, against rapes, violence and murder and the government must act on this. This is a national issue and not a political one. This is about our women. Thousands are present here including the common people and people from all parties. This situation is such today that one after another incident of murder, rape and violence is taking place in various parts of the country. We are standing here against that and we want the government to act."

The Congress leaders present at the protest march to the India Gate included Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Sushmita Dev, Haroon Yusuf, Randeep Surjewala and Ambika Soni. Azad said the Modi government was sleeping and those facing the biggest threat were the daughters of the country during the current regime.