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Political slugfest over Ayodhya rape case: BJP making allegations to defame SP, says Akhilesh
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of defaming his party over Ayodhya rape case, alleging it's a conspiracy ahead of bypolls. DNA test demand sparks political slugfest.
The political slugfest between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ayodhya gangrape case intensified on Monday after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged, “instead of getting justice for the victim, BJP is engaged in defaming the Samajwadi Party under a conspiracy”.
“The BJP is unable to digest the defeat in Faizabad (Ayodhya) Lok Sabha. The people of Ayodhya and Uttar Pradesh have punished BJP for the corruption and land grabbing that was done in Ayodhya in the last seven years. The BJP is furious after losing the Lok Sabha elections, making allegations with the intention of defaming the Samajwadi Party without investigation,” he said.
Talking to media persons after a programme organised to mark the birth anniversary of former Union minister Janeshwar Mishra in Gomti Nagar here, Yadav said, “The BJP should refrain from doing cheap politics over this tragic incident. The BJP wants to start a conspiracy before the(assembly bypolls) election. Their aim from the very first day has been to defame the socialists, especially their thinking about Muslims, is an undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
On Sunday night, a BJP leader had installed hoardings in the city slamming the SP, “What does SP chief Akhilesh Yadav want to prove by demanding DNA test of the rape accused, ‘ladke hain galti ho jati hain, Moeed hain galti ho jati hain’ (boys will be boys, they commit mistakes, Moeed has also committed a mistake).”
A three-member BJP delegation, including Uttar Pradesh minister of state for backward class welfare Narendra Kashyap and Rajya Sabha MPs Baburam Nishad and Sangeeta Balwant, met the rape survivor and her family members in Ayodhya on Sunday.
The delegation will submit its report to BJP’s OBC Morcha national president K Laxman. Besides increase in compensation for the rape survivor, the BJP delegation also demanded better medical care and strict action against the accused.
Earlier, the Ayodhya district administration demolished the bakery of accused Moeed Khan, saying that the SP leader illegally confiscated the pond land and constructed a bakery there. Khan, who runs a bakery in Bhadarsa Nagar of Purakalandar police station area of Ayodhya, and his employee Raju Khan were arrested on July 30 for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl two months ago and recording the act.
The incident came to light when a medical examination revealed that she was pregnant. Speaking in the legislative assembly on August 1, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Khan is a member of the Samajwadi Party and is part of the team of Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad.
“Those committing crime in U.P. are often associated with SP, will the SP take action against the criminal elements active in the party,” he had asked. The CM met the mother of the rape survivor on Friday at his official residence in Lucknow and directed officials to make special arrangements for the health and safety of the girl.
BJP ally NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad met the girl and her family in Ayodhya on Saturday. After the meeting Nishad said, “Instead of ousting Moeed Khan, the SP MP has advocated for him, stopped an FIR from being lodged. I will go to the Samajwadi Party office and protest against such a tyrant.”
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state unit president Vishwanath Pal termed the SP’s demand for a DNA test a “conspiracy to save the accused”.
The BSP leader questioned the track record of previous SP governments in Uttar Pradesh on such crimes committed against women. Criticising the SP for not expelling the rape accused from the party, Pal said, “When the SP government was in power, they did not order any DNA test in such an incident.”
The SP chief had demanded a DNA test on the prime accused Moeed Khan and Raju Khan, the co-accused in the case. In a post on social media platform X, Yadav had said, “In the case of misdeeds, the way for justice should be found by getting DNA tests done of those who are accused and not by merely making allegations and doing politics.”
Giving a clarification on his demand for the DNA test, Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said, “The UP government had amended a law in 2023 that said DNA tests should be conducted in crimes with punishment over seven years.”
“In this (Ayodhya) case, justice should be done by getting DNA test of all those who are accused done and not by doing politics by merely making allegations. Whoever is guilty should be given full punishment according to the law, but if after some investigation the allegations are proved to be false, the government officials involved should also not be spared. This is the demand of justice,” he said.
Speaking about the Hathras stampede and the Lucknow molestation case, Yadav said, “In Hathras, BJP MLAs and leaders had written for permission for a religious programme of ‘Bhole Baba’. But the administration did not make arrangements properly and as a result a large number of people lost their lives.”
“In the Gomti Nagar molestation case, the police had given the entire list of those involved in the incident, but the CM only takes the names of Yadavs and Muslims. It clearly shows the politics of the BJP,” he said.
