BJP demands CBI probe in Bulandshahr gang-rape

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into the Bulandshahr gang-rape in Uttar Pradesh and the resignation of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the "failure" of law and order in the state.

"We condemn the Bulandshahr incident. We appeal to Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav that if he has some morality left in him, he should immediately hand over the probe of this case to CBI," BJP spokesman Shrikant Sharma said here.

A woman from Noida and her minor daughter were gang-raped on Saturday night after being dragged out of their car by dacoits near a highway in western Uttar Pradesh. The two were travelling with other family members to their native place in Shahjahanpur to attend a family ritual.

"Today, women in UP are resigned to live in fear, the morale of the police is down and criminals are roaming scot-free as they have the ruling party's protection. UP mein janata trast, apradhi mast aur police laachar hai (In UP public is hapless, criminals are happy and police is helpless)," Sharma said.

He said that 12,198 cases of murder, 6,015 cases of loot and dacoity, 2,920 cases of rapes and 1,232 kidnappings have been reported in the state ever since the Samajwadi Party came to power in the state.

The BJP also criticised senior party functionary and Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan for his statement that the Bulandshahr incident was a conspiracy by the opposition to defame the state government.

Earlier, BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit President Kehsav Prasad Maurya, who met the victims in Noida, demanded Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's resignation, saying he has failed to govern the state.

"The (Uttar Pradesh) government has failed to take action in the shameful and painful incident. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should resign as he has failed to govern the state. Such incidents have also happened in the past," Keshav Maurya told reporters.

"The party and the central government stand by the family. We will meet the Union Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) and demand a CBI probe into the incident," he added.

--IANS

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