Uma questions law and order in UP, Dimple defends state government

The increasing rape incidents in Uttar Pradesh led to charges and counter-charges between the BJP and the SP with Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti Thursday accusing the state's ruling party of "protecting rapists" while Dimple Yadav put up a spirited defence of her husband and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"...this (Uttar Pradesh) is the only state where politicians and the government protect rapists," Uma Bharti, who is an MP from the state's Jhansi, told the media after taking oath.

She said the state had become "insensitive towards women", alluding to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh's questioning of the capital punishment for rapists during the Lok Sabha campaign.

Dimple Yadav however complained that the rape cases in the state have been excessively played up in the media.

"You cannot just say that rapes are happening in just one state. It is an important social issue faced by the whole country, and we should take it very seriously. We need to discuss this issue and take steps," argued the 36-year-old Kannauj MP.

She contended that Akhilesh Yadav's failure to visit Badaun, where two Dalit girls were gang-raped and murdered May 27, should not to be seen as the governmnet's indifference regarding crime against women.

"Our party is very strict on this issue and will ensure that the culprits are given strict punishment. Our government is working in this direction," she said.

Both Mulayam Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav have attracted strong criticism for failing to do much to maintain law and order in UP, where a woman judge was raped on June 3, while shocking people with their comments.

Asked about the law and order situation in the state, Mulayam Yadav snapped at reporters saying: "You do your work, I will do mine".

His remarks came after his son told reporters earlier that they should "Google" search the number of rapes happening elsewhere in the country and stop focusing on UP.