Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday stirred a controversy by calling for a DNA test of the accused in the Ayodhya gangrape case, where the 12-year-old victim became pregnant.
Following a meeting with the victim and her family, Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad condemned any political alignment with the accused, stating that a 'tyrant has no caste and no party should support him'.
BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, have claimed that Moid Khan, the main accused in the gangrape case, is affiliated with the Samajwadi Party and is connected to Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad.
Sanjay Nishad Meets Victims
Sanjay Nishad, chief of Nishad Party met the victim and her family members at the district women hospital here in the afternoon.
He spoke to the media after meeting the victim's family when he got emotional and said, "I will appeal to all parties that a tyrant doesn't have any caste, don't take his side. I will go to Samajwadi Party office and protest against such a tyrant."
In an apparent attack on MP Awadhesh Prasad, Sanjay Nishad, cabinet minister in the state, said the SP should oust him from the party.
"This MP has advocated for him (Moid Khan), stopped from an FIR being lodged," he alleged while wiping his tears.
"I request the society to rise against such people and help me in getting justice for the victim," he added.
"The love of Akhilesh Yadav for PDA is proving to be false. It seems that he won with support of these criminals. He has not said anything on the incident," Nishad said.
In a press statement Sanjay Nishad was quoted saying,
"I have raised my voice for the victim in the assembly. We will fight till the accused is hanged," Sanjay Nishad was quoted saying in a press statement.
Nishad (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) Party is an alliance partner of BJP in the state.
Uttar Pradesh Administration Takes Strict Action
The Ayodhya police on July 30 arrested Khan, who runs a bakery in Bhadarsa Nagar of Purakalandar police station area of the district, and his employee Raju Khan in the case of gang rape of the 12-year-old girl.
The police said that Moid and Raju Khan raped the minor two months ago and also recorded the act.
The Ayodhya district administration demolished the bakery of Khan on Saturday.
The incident came to light when a recent medical examination revealed that the victim was pregnant. After it was claimed that Khan is a member of the SP, the case has taken a political turn.
Adityanath took up the incident in the assembly on Thursday and targeted the SP.
"This is a case of Ayodhya. Moid Khan is from SP and is a member of the Ayodhya MP's team. He has been found involved in the rape of a 12-year-old girl. SP has not taken any action against him," he said.
After meeting the mother of the victim girl on Friday, the chief minister directed the officials to make special arrangements for the health and safety of the girl.
How Did Samajwadi Party Respond?
In a statement issued from the SP headquarters on Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Without a DNA test in the Bhadarsa case of Ayodhya, BJP's allegation will be considered biased."
The SP chief also demanded that the government should immediately provide assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the victim's family.
On Saturday, Awadhesh Prasad, the Samajwadi Party MP from Faizabad, accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of having a bias against people from the Yadav and Muslim communities.
Awadhesh Prasad speaking to ANI said, "The Samajwadi Party has never stood with culprits. The Samajwadi Party has always fought against injustice... Our leader (Mulayam Singh Yadav) sent Phoolan Devi to the country's highest panchayat. The BJP should not do politics on such a horrific, shameful incident..."
Other Parties Hit Back
While BSP chief Mayawati asked how many accused were subjected to DNA tests under the SP rule in such cases, the BJP too stepped up its attack, alleging Yadav has given a "clean chit" to accused Moid Khan who is linked to the Samajwadi Party.
The BJP hit back, alleging the SP is defending a "paedophile" and showing its "boys will be boys mindset" while leaders of the INDIA bloc are "silent".
"Because the girl belongs to the Nishad community and the brute belongs to the vote bank, evidence is being sought from her even though she is pregnant.
"What do they want to prove with the DNA test? Who all were involved in the gangrape, will this be decided on the basis of the DNA test? Is the rapist who made the girl pregnant the only one guilty of rape?" BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said on X.
(With PTI inputs)
