Farmers Movement Archive

National Commission for Women notice to farm leaders

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued notices to Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Yogendra Yadav and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta Ugrahan chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan over the reports of sexual assault on a 26-year-old woman activist at the Tikri border protest site, the women rights panel said on Tuesday.It is being alleged that Yadav and other SKM protesters were aware of the assault, but didn’t inform the police. The NCW has sent a notice to Yadav, seeking an explanation for the delay in informing the police about the incident.“The NCW has also sought an explanation from Joginder Singh Ugrahan on the said matter and told him to inform it as to what steps have been taken to ensure safety and security of women associated with the agitation. The reply has to be communicated to the NCW within 10 days,” the Commission said.The SKM had on Sunday said that it had zero tolerance towards violence against women amidst reports that the woman activist from West Bengal was sexually assaulted on her way to join the farmers protest and later at Tikri border by some persons posing to be “Kisan Social Army” members.It said it would probe the allegations that some of its leaders were aware of the reported sexual assault of a woman activist at the Tikri border protest site, who later died due to Covid-19 at a private hospital in Haryana.Meanwhile, sources said the SIT formed to probe the Tikri sexual assault had issued notices of appearance to 3-4 other persons in connection with the case while a police team carried out a search operation at Tikri to arrest Anoop Singh, who in a video uploaded by him on his Facebook account on Monday, claimed that he was still at the border and would not go back till the farmers’ agitation continues. The police could not trace him.In the video, Anoop also disclosed that a panchayat of farm leaders from Haryana was held at Tikri on May 6 in connection with the case and it came to the fore that incident of molestation happened in the train but there was no truth in the allegations of rape. “I am innocent and being implicated in a false case,” he said, adding that Anil was expelled from Kisan Social Army when he learnt about the molestation.DSP Pawan Kumar, who is heading the SIT, said three teams had been constituted to arrest two main accused while Yogita, a co-accused, disclosed that she returned to Tikri from West Bengal on April 7 and other team members along with the victim came after April 10. — PTI/TNSDelay in info on Tikri Sexual assaultIt is being alleged that Yogendra Yadav and other SKM protesters were aware of the assault, but didn't inform the police. The NCW has sent a notice to Yadav, seeking an explanation for the delay in informing the police. It has also sought a reply from BKU Ekta Ugrahan chief Joginder Ugrahan on the matter and inform the NCW as to what steps have been taken to ensure the safety and security of women protesters.

The Tribune

2021-05-12