Politicians throng Shahbad Dairy victim's house to condole with family

Leaders from BJP, AAP, and Congress on Tuesday met and condoled with the family members of the 16-year-old girl who was killed in broad daylight in the Shahbad Dairy area of northwest Delhi.

The girl was stabbed over 20 times and bludgeoned to death by a youth in a busy bylane of Shahbad Dairy area as passers-by looked on in fear and disbelief.

While AAP leader Atishi met the girl's family members, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex-gratia sum of Rs 10 lakh to her kin to help them tide over the tragedy.

"The Delhi government will provide an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the victim and will try its best to get the culprit punished severely by the court. Best lawyers will be fielded for this case," Kejriwal in a tweet in Hindi announced.

 

Atishi in her turn slammed Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena and alleged that "such incidents can be averted if LG takes responsibility."

"Daughters of Delhi are facing violence every day. Such incidents can be averted only if the LG takes responsibility," she alleged.

Another leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, Saurabh Bharadwaj, lashed out at the LG over the horrific killing saying the people of Delhi have "lost faith" in the national capital's law and order system.

"We urge the LG to hold a press conference and give us the information on how many police stations he has visited so far. The LG has zero accountability. If this was some other country, people would start asking for the Home Minister's resignation. People don't wish to come forward to help because they think they will be falsely framed by the police," Bharadwaj alleged.

Kejriwal too had on Monday urged Saxena to take strict action in the murder incident.

The Delhi Police comes under the Union Home Ministry. The AAP which govern the city has been firm in its pursuit to wrest the control of police in Delhi to the elected government.

BJP MP Hans Raj Hans who met the girl's family Tuesday morning said no amount of money can bring the family its daughter back.

"The family has lost its world. Daughters are considered goddess Lakshmi. We can just console them and provide some financial help," Hans told reporters after meeting the victim's kin.

The BJP delegation accompanying Hans extended its sympathy to the family and gave a "small interim financial support" to them, said a statement from the BJP's Delhi unit.

Hans also condemned the AAP for "politicising" the murder and using it to score political brownie points.

Delhi Congress President Anil Chaudhary, who also visited the family members of the victim, said "blame game begins" between Kejriwal and LG every time the "government is held accountable."

"Several such incidents have happened since 2013 but whenever the government is held accountable, Arvind Kejriwal and the LG start their blame game," Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal too met the girl's family.