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It was in 2010 when a minor girl was sexually assaulted by a politician and his men in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district but the rape survivor is now determined to join politics and support women who have gone through the ordeal.
The girl, who is now in her twenties, is firm that her name should become synonymous with struggles of a common girl who fights male dominance in the society.
While talking to PTI, she said, “My life has been spoiled but I don’t want others like me to suffer.”
The girl, who belongs to a lower middle class family and is uneducated, received support from the media and politicians.
She has had a series of meetings with leaders such as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and P L Punia, who, she said, asked her to contest the next assembly polls in the state scheduled for 2017.
“I have been visiting Delhi and Lucknow and met Congress leaders. I got full support of the party in my fight for justice... even Rahul Gandhi came here to meet me after the incident. If the party gives me a ticket I will contest the assembly elections,” she said.
The girl however, said she has not been getting enough support from her family who are worried about her well-being.
“They are worried about my well being...they feel that I might be eliminated because of this rivalry and I have told them that I will not be going ahead alone,” she said.
“It was not for any of my mistakes that I got raped or have to live with this stigma all my life... why must I suffer in silence,” said the girl, who has also been working as a social activist.
“I am already working for the poor, downtrodden and women facing various problems and will continue to work for them,” she said.
In November 2010, the girl was kidnapped by former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Purushottam Dwivedi and his men. She was kept in captivity and subjected to sexual assault.
When she managed to escape from Dwivedi’s house, she was arrested and sent to jail on charges of stealing a mobile phone on the complaint filed by the ex-legislator.
On her complaint, Dwiwedi was arrested and sent to jail.
A special CBI court had in June this year convicted the ex-legislator to 10 years imprisonment in the case and sentenced two other co-accused to two-year imprisonment along with slapping a fine.