Ayodhya rape sparks political boxing between BJP, SP ahead of crucial bypolls
UP authorities bulldozed a bakery owned by main accused in minor's rape and CM warned of 'bullet yatra' against accused; SP says government is being vindictive
The rape of a 12-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya has escalated into a political war between the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party. The main accused happens to belong to the Samajwadi Party (SP).
After the arrests of the two accused in the rape of the minor – Moid Khan and Raju Khan – UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched a high-velocity aggressive campaign against the SP. Moid Khan, the city president of the SP unit at Bhadrasa, is said to be close to party MP Awadhesh Prasad, whose victory in the Lok Sabha battle from Ayodhya/Faizabad stunned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
UP authorities have bulldozed a bakery owned by Moid Khan and have vowed to go after his other properties in the region. Two policemen have been suspended on charges that they were slow in carrying out the investigation against the two men.
Targetting the SP, the CM has described SP members as "threats to women’s safety" and threatened that his government “will take out a bullet yatra” against the accused.
Akhilesh seeks justice
Meanwhile, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, who emphasised on the need for justice for the victim, sought a DNA test for the accused. His party colleagues argued that the Khans were being targeted as they were Muslims and were affiliated to the Samajwadi Party.
“In cases of misdeeds, justice should be sought through DNA tests and not mere allegations and politics. The guilty should be punished according to the law. But if the DNA test proves the allegations false, then government officials involved should not be spared,” SP chief Akhilesh said.
“This is the demand of justice,” he added.
His colleague Pawan Pandey told the media,“If they are guilty, they should be punished but not in the manner the Yogi government is acting against them.”
BJP leader threatens more
Responding to Akhilesh's demand for a DNA test, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has slammed Akhilesh Yadav, whose party won dozens of Lok Sabha seats this year.
"A minor girl has been raped, the allegations are against your party leader and you are dogmatically defending him. This is the same DNA that defends rapists of girls by saying ‘boys make mistakes’,” read the post of (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on X.
The chief minister has announced financial aid to the victim’s family.
A BJP leader, Baburam Nishad, was quoted as saying in the media, “Our government will not spare those responsible for this heinous crime. The government will take such a strong step against the perpetrators that it will be remembered for generations.”
UP government vindictive?
SP leaders, however, accuse the BJP government of being vindictive in the wake of the saffron party's humiliating loss in the Ayodhya parliamentary election and elsewhere in UP.
With bypolls approaching, the party members alleged that the BJP is trying to portray the SP as a party of criminals. They argue that instead of providing justice to the victim, the UP government is engaging in politics.
The crime
According to the police, Moid Khan, who owned a bakery and his employee Raju Khan, allegedly abused a 12-year-old girl for over two and a half months threatening her with the video of the assault. The incident of the rape came to light when the girl was found to be pregnant. Moid Khan and Raju Khan have been arrested and jailed.
