With political battle between different political parties already hots-up over sensational gang rape and murder of two minor girls in Badaun, Centre and State government now seems to have lock-horns over not initiating legal proceeding against the accused under SC and ST Act. Interestingly, after facing all round attack, chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, already announced that he was ready for a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
On Monday, the Home Ministry shot off a letter to State government asking it to explain why the stringent clauses of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were not slapped on those accused of raping and murdering of two cousins in Badaun. "The law is there. It is to protect the SCs and STs from
atrocities. It was a clear case of atrocity on a weaker section of the society. We do not know why the state government has not slapped it (clauses) against the accused," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters in New Delhi on Mondaymorning. He said the letter to the Uttar Pradesh government has been sent. "It was a heinous crime and the guilty must be given exemplary punishment," he said.
Reacting to above move of the Centre after being questioned here on Monday evening, inspector general (law and order), Amrendra Sengar, claimed that no proceedings under SC and ST Act could be made as the victims were not Dalits. ``There in no doubt in the minds of the state government or even at the local administration about the caste of the victims. They both were hailing from Shakiya community which not comes under Dalit so question of registering an FIR under SC & ST act never arises”, he asserted while claiming that he had no knowledge that any such query has been sought by the minister of home affairs at the Centre. local administration at Badaun also claimed that even if the girls were Dalits even than sections have been slapped in any cases as per the complaint lodged by the complainant. local police said that five accused-- three brothers Pappu Yadav, Awadhesh Yadav and Urvesh Yadav and constables Chandrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav ---have been arrested in the case. The two teenage girls, who were cousins aged 14 and 15 years, were allegedly gang raped and murdered with their bodies found hanging from a mango tree in a village in Ushait area in Badaun. The girls went missing on May 27 and their bodies were found the next day.
Meanwhile union minister Ram Vilas Paswan met the family members of the two gang rape and murder victims in Badaun and assured them that he would take up their
demands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raise them in the Union Cabinet. Slamming the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, he questioned why the Chief Minister had failed to turn up at the village and visit the victims' families. He also wondered whether this pointed to some "collusion" between the state government and the accused. Paswan was accompanied by his son Chirag Paswan, who has been elected to lok Sabha and is the party's Parliamentary
Board chairman. Chirag said that while it is understandable to some extent if the state government is not able to provide electricity and water supply, the minimum that it can do is to provide security. "If you are not being able to provide right to life, then what kind of government this is. Security to life is the basic right of every citizen and every government has to provide that," he said. After meeting family members of the victims, the Union Minister said that the entire family is scared and there should be permanent police camp in the village. He demanded that the Chief Minister should visit the village, the case should be given a speedy trial like in the Nirbhaya case and the accused handed down exemplary punishment.