BJP extending patronage to rape-accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar: Opposition

Opposition Congress, BSP and SP on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of "extending patronage" to party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who has been accused of raping a minor girl.

Jailed BJP MLA Sengar and nine others were booked for murder on Monday, a day after the car in which the 19-year old rape survivor, her family and lawyer were travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli, killing two members and leaving her and the advocate critically injured.

The Unnao rape survivor's family filed a complaint, alleging "conspiracy" behind the Sunday's car crash. Her family members sat on a dharna outside the hospital where she is undergoing treatment, demanding parole to her uncle Mahesh Singh from jail for the last rites of his wife.

In a tweet, BSP president Mayawati said, "The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP...The Supreme Court needs to take cognizance of it." Congress workers led by leader of the Legislature Party Ajay Kumar Lallu staged a dharna, demanding expulsion of the BJP lawmaker from the party.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who met the family members of the rape survivor at the hospital, held the government fully responsible for the accident. "Can the state government not ensure justice to this beti (daughter). What is the fault of the family members.

If something happens to the two injured who will be responsible for it," Yadav said. According to doctors at the KGMU Trauma Centre, both the injured are on ventilator and their condition was being monitored.

Outside the Trauma Centre, the family members of the rape survivor staged the dharna demanding that her uncle Mahesh Singh, who is lodged in the Rae Bareli jail, be granted parole to perform the last rites of his wife and sister-in-law who had died in the road accident in Rae Bareli on Sunday.

The sister of the rape survivor has said that it was under the pressure of the BJP MLA that Mahesh Singh was not being given parole and said that the last rites of the two will not be performed by the family till he comes out of jail.

The BSP president has also supported the family on the matter and said, "after the suspicious murder of the family members of the Unnao rape survivor, the uncle not being released on parole for last rites is most inhuman and only proved the collusion of the UP government. The relatives are sitting on dharna at the medical college for parole. The government needs to pay attention." The Uttar Pradesh government has recommended a CBI probe into the road accident.

A woman belonging to Makhi police station area in Unnao had alleged that Sengar, a four-time MLA who represents Bangermau in the UP Assembly, raped her teenage daughter at his residence in 2017. The case had come to light after the victim allegedly attempted self-immolation outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence. Sengar, who is an accused in the rape case, was arrested on April 13 last year.

-PTI