After going hammer and thongs against the Centre in the Rajya Sabha over atrocities on Dalits and religious minorities, especially Muslims, BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday said so far, they were torturing men, but now they have started torturing women as well, and nothing could be more shameful than that.

She was referring to the attack on two Muslim women in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, allegedly by a cow protection outfit.

The women were reportedly carrying buffalo meat, and assaulted at a railway station on suspicion that it was beef. The police, who were present, arrested the duo.

The “shocking incident” happened despite wide condemnation of the attacks against Dalits by a similar group in Una, Gujarat, Mayawati said.

“Earlier they targeted Muslim men over cow protection. Then they targeted Dalit youths. Now, the attack is against Muslim women in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh,” Mayawati said. “The Centre should answer. Such attacks are happening in many States,” she added.

She was supported by Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and members of various opposition parties. As the demand for an answer became louder, Minority Affairs Minister Muqtar Abbas Naqvi said the Centre will ask the Madhya Pradesh government to furnish the details of the incident.

The protesting members took to the well of the House, raising slogans against the government.

Seeking the Centre’s response to the issue, Deputy Chairperson PJ Kurien urged the protesting members to return to their seats.

To this, Naqvi, who is also Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, asked the opposition members to serve a notice to have a full-fledged discussion on the issue.

Continuing her tirade outside Parliament as well, Mayawati said: “Since the BJP-led government was formed at the Centre, all across the country, especially in the BJP-ruled States, people of weaker sections and religious minorities, particularly Muslims, are being tortured at every level.”

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