Place UP under President's rule, demands SP

Samajwadi Party today demanded that President's rule be imposed in Uttar Pradesh because of the deteriorating law and order, especially after the Unnao rape case - in which a ruling party MLA is an accused.

"This government should not continue even for a single day and Article 356 needs to be invoked and the state brought under President's rule," SP vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda told reporters here.

The demand for imposition of President's rule came after the Central Bureau of Investigation today took over the probe in three cases related to the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and detained the legislator for questioning.

The victim has alleged that on June 4, 2017, she was raped by the Bangarmau legislator at his residence, when she had gone to meet him with a relative, seeking a job.

After the case was filed, the victim's father was booked by police under the Arms Act on April 3 and put in jail on April 5.

Frustrated with the alleged police inaction on her complaint and coercion from influential people, the victim attempted self-immolation in front of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence on April 8.

The next day, her father died in jail with the post-mortem examination report suggesting serious injuries on his body.

"The entire nation saw how the victim's father was brutally beaten up and how the police was saying there is no evidence... Action should also be taken against the policemen involved," Nanda demanded.

The law and order situation in UP has deteriorated, crime against women has increased and the government and administration has failed to take concrete action, he said.

The younger daughter-in-law of Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, Aprana Yadav, also criticised the law and order situation in the state.

Slogans like 'beti bachao-beti padhao' have become meaningless in the state, she said.