Unnao incident: Rahul takes a dig at the government, says 'don't ask questions if BJP MLA is accused of raping you'

Taking a dig at the government over the Unnao rape victim case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took to Twitter and said that the people should not ask questions if BJP MLA is accused of raping them. “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao. A new special education bulletin for Indian women. Don’t ask questions if a BJP MLA is accused of having raped you,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted. 

The Unnao rape victim, who had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of sexually assaulting her in 2017, and her lawyer on Sunday were critically injured and two of her aunts were killed when the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck in Gurubakshganj area of Rae Bareli.

Police said the victims were going to Rae Bareli district jail, where the rape victim’s uncle is lodged. Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow zone, Rajeev Krishna, confirmed that the two women who died in the accident are the rape victim’s aunts.

The 19-year-old rape victim and the lawyer, who was driving the car, are undergoing treatment at the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, where their condition is critical, said Additional Superintendent of Police, Rae Bareli, Shashi Shekhar Singh.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also termed the incident as shocking and wondered whether any hope for justice can be expected from the ruling BJP, whose MLA Kuldeep Sengar is an accused in the case.

So a woman is allegedly raped by a BJP MLA. Her father is beaten up and dies in custody. A key witness dies mysteriously last year. Now her aunt who was also a witness is killed and her lawyer is critically injured in an accident caused by a truck with blackened number plates.

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 29, 2019

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the car accident in which the Unnao rape survivor was seriously injured a "systematic attempt" to eliminate her.  This was a "pre-planned conspiracy" and the incident is a "mockery of the law", he said at an event organised to greet kanwariyas.

 Kanwariyas are devotees of Lord Shiva. They visit Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of the Ganges during the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan.This year, the kanwar yatra began on July 17. 

"Instead of getting justice, the family members are victimised. The government and the country should support the victim and the accused must be punished," Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, said.

"Systematic attempts to eliminate the Unnao rape victim and her family appear to be a pre-planned conspiracy & a mockery of rule of law. How can any civilised society allow such state sponsored  barbarism? (sic)," the Delhi chief minister tweeted.

The Delhi Commission For Women chief Swati Maliwal on Monday visited the hospital in Lucknow where the victim has been admitted.

Maliwal said the victim should be airlifted to Delhi for better treatment

Meanwhile, UP DGP OP Singh said that the victim herself requested the security person to not accompany her. “There was no negligence in her security. Due to lack of space in her vehicle, she requested the security personnel deputed for security not to accompany her to Raebareli yesterday,” ANI quoted him as saying.

 

“We’ll conduct a fair and free probe. Primary probe suggests it was purely an accident due to an overspeeding truck. Truck driver and owner have been arrested. If the family demands a CBI inquiry into the case, we’ll hand over the case to CBI,” he added.