Asserting that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted her to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls, the Unnao rape survivor on Thursday said since she is not old enough to fight elections, the party has fielded her mother from the Unnao Sadar assembly segment for a cause.
Asha Singh, the mother of the rape survivor, who has won her legal battle against former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, said she is contesting the polls to ensure justice for the victims of such a heinous crime.
"Priyanka Gandhi wanted me to fight the election but it could not happen because I am not 25 years of age. So she gave the ticket to my mother," said the rape survivor who is campaigning for her mother.
She hoped that people would understand their pain and send her mother to the assembly.
Singh raised questions over the law-and-order situation in the state and said crime against women will only stop once the scenario improves.
"Only then, no man, however strong he is, cannot look at a woman with wrong intentions. Our efforts will be to ensure this after winning the election," she told PTI.
Pankaj Gupta, who represents Unnao Sadar in the assembly, has been fielded from the seat by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, while the Samajwadi Party has nominated Abhinav Kumar.
The rape survivor and her mother, who were campaigning in Thana village at a distance of seven kilometers from the Unnao district headquarters, were surrounded by a posse of security personnel.
Apart from the local Congress workers, those from the party's Madhya Pradesh unit are also engaged in campaigning with the two women, who are going from house to house asking for votes.
Renu Devi, a local resident, said people are impressed by the respect Priyanka Gandhi has given to the mother of the rape survivor.
Singh fought a long battle to get justice for her daughter. She secured a life sentence for Sengar, who was the BJP MLA from Bangarmau.
"What happened to my daughter should not happen with any daughter or sister. If I win the election, I will be the voice of the weaker section. I joined politics to get them justice," the Congress candidate said.
She said she is getting a massive support from people, especially women.
Since Singh is not educated, her daughter and sister are also taking part in the election campaign with her.
Talking to PTI, the rape survivor said, "Priyanka Gandhi understood our pain and gave us a chance to join politics."
Asked about the tragic incident, the Class-11 student said, "I suffered a lot of oppression to put the man who did wrong with me behind the bars. Now, no one, no matter how influential he is, can do any wrong to any daughter. He will think first before doing any misdeed because law is strict for everyone and justice can be delayed but not denied."
"Injustice should not happen to any other sister. I hope that the people of our district will understand our sorrow and pain and send my mother to the assembly so that the voice of the downtrodden is heard," she added.
To a question on their strategy against seasoned politicians, she said they are fighting on the basis of truth.
"We will win the election with the help of people. Difficulties will come, but we are not alone," the rape survivor said.
She said they have expanded the Congress's "ladki hoon..." slogan as "ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon aur behan-betiyon ko nyay dila sakti hoon (I am a girl, I can fight and ensure justice to sisters and daughters)".
She said the women of her village, Mankhi, say that they have learned a lot from her struggle.
She said her sister is also campaigning for their mother by forming separate teams.
Singh said, "My issue in the election is to protect the honour of the sisters and daughters, apart from opening good schools for girls, higher education, widening of roads, drinking water, construction of drains, providing means of employment to those unemployed."
On June 4, 2017, the rape survivor, who was still a minor, went to meet Sengar for a job. A few days later, she complained that the MLA had raped her.
Police registered a case in the matter following a court order. The family of the rape survivor continued to receive threats even after the case was registered but did not give up in their quest for justice.
The probe in the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation in April 2018.
As the incident triggered nationwide outrage, the BJP expelled Sengar from the party. On December 19, 2019, Delhi's Tis Hazari Court sentenced Sengar to life imprisonment for rape.
After his conviction, the Uttar Pradesh assembly cancelled Sengar's membership and declared the Bangarmau seat vacant.
In the bypoll held in November 2020, Shrikant Katiyar of the BJP won the seat.
