Beti bachao khud maare jao: Rahul Gandhi targets BJP over rape charges on MLA, custodial death

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has now attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged rape of a woman by a party MLA in Uttar Pradesh and death of her father in police custody in Unnao. Taking to Twitter, the Congress president questioned the role of Uttar Pradesh Police in the case, saying instead of taking the MLA into custody, it detained the father of the alleged victim who later died.

Mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme, the Gandhi scion tweeted, “Beti bachao-khud maare jao (save daughter and get yourself killed)”.

बेटी बचाओ-खुद मारे जाओ

एक युवती भाजपा MLA पर बलात्कार का आरोप लगाती है| MLA को गिरफ्तार करने के बजाय पुलिस युवती के पिता को हिरासत में ले लेती है| उसके तुरंत बाद पुलिस कस्टडी में उनकी मृत्यु हो जाती है|

वहीँ आरोपी भाजपा विधायक अभी भी खुले घूम रहे हैं|https://t.co/TN5GDXm7Ow — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 9, 2018

Attacking the administration over the issue, the Gandhi scion pointed that the accused MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, was still roaming freely.

The attack by the Congress chief on the BJP came after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserted that no one would be spared in the case, irrespective of their positions. Calling the incident unfortunate, the Chief Minister said, “ADG Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault, whoever they might be, will not be spared.”

BJP MLA Sengar also claimed innocence. He denied having any connection with the custodial death of the woman’s father, and dismissed the rape allegation as baseless. “There is no allegation against me, I am open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit,” said the BJP MLA.

Meanwhile, the family of the alleged victim, who attempted suicide outside the residence of CM Adityanath in Lucknow on Sunday, demanded justice. Speaking to news agency ANI, sister of the alleged rape victim said, “My father has already died and now they say that action will be taken. I just want that FIR be written against Arun Singh and Kuldeep Singh and they be arrested. I want justice.”

The woman has alleged that Sengar and his associates raped her, and that authorities had refused to register her complaint. She said she had been running from pillar to post for over a year, but that authorities had not paid her any heed. She attempted to set herself on fire twice - first outside Adityanath's residence, and then outside the Gautam Palli Police Station. 

However, police said there was more to the allegations than meets the eyes. "On further probe it was found that both parties are in a dispute since 10 to 12 years," said Rajiv Krishan, ADG Lucknow. "Allegations can be proved only after a thorough probe," he added.