Guwahati molestation case calls for national outrage: Brinda Karat

New Delhi, July 13 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Friday said the molestation of a young girl in Guwahati called for expressions of national outrage, and prosecution of police officials.

"I think it's a national outrage because this happened just two kilometers away, very close to the seat of governance in Assam. And the fact that it could happen on a public place, on a public road for more than 30 minutes, and the police did not come. What is the message, which goes from this; that women in India are not safe, the second message, which goes is that the police are not accountable for ensuring the security of citizens, particularly young women, on the streets of this country," said Karat.

"And, I think, the fact that the police did not act, there has to be prosecution of the police officials responsible for this," she added.

Karat further said it is high time citizens of the country protest and fight for their rights in a democratic country like India.

"Firs of all, I think, normal, ordinary citizens have to just protest now. These are our daughters, and what are we trying to tell them and what right do you have to criticize anybody else and claim India is a democracy, when clearly democracy is a very circumscribed democracy by patriarchal values in this case," she said.

A girl was molested on Monday as she was returning home from a party at a bar located in Guwahati's Post Office area.

The incident came to light after an amateur video of the incident was uploaded on YouTube. The video shows the mob, consisting of around 20 men, beating the girl before stripping her.

The shameful act continued for 30 minutes till police arrived and rescued the girl, and handed her over to her parents.

Police later arrested around four persons following widespread expressions of outrage over the incident. (ANI)