People 'who even think' of harming women's self respect will be 'totally destroyed', says Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Facing criticism in the wake of rape incidents in Uttar Pradesh , Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said those who even think of harming the women’s self-respect will face total destruction. Stressing that his government is committed to women’s safety, Adityanath said such people will get an exemplary punishment. The warning has come days after a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped in the Hathras district by four men. She died at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday morning. Similarly, another case of a Dalit woman’s death after alleged rape surfaced in the state. The woman died in Balrampur on her way to hospital. Taking to the Twitter on Friday, Adityanath said, “Total destruction of those who even think of harming the self-respect of women in UP is inevitable.” “They will get such a punishment that will set an example for future. The UP government is committed to the safety and development of mothers and daughters,” he said, adding that “this is his government’s resolve and promise”. The Hathras victim succumbed to severe injuries that she suffered when she was allegedly assaulted by four upper caste men in her village in the Hathras district on 14 September. She was cremated in Hathras in the dead of night with family members saying they were not allowed to bring the body home one last time. But police claimed they had the family’s consent for the cremation. The hurried funeral triggered outrage with Opposition parties and other groups attacking the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the state of law and order. Referring to the two cases, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded that Adityanath should be replaced or President’s Rule imposed in the state. The Allahabad High Court too sent out summons to top Uttar Pradesh officials over the Hathras incident. The Congress staged a dramatic protest, leading to the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The two leaders were detained by UP police in Greater Noida, just outside Delhi, when they insisted on marching to Hathras to meet the family of the 19-year-old woman.