A highly insensitive comment by senior Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Minority Affairs Minister Azam Khan — terming the mother-daughter gangrape in Bulandshahr “a political conspiracy to malign the Akhilesh Government” — has been slammed by political parties.
The BJP and the Congress termed Khan’s statement outrageous. The BJP demanded a CBI probe into the gangrape as on day 4 the perpetrators were still at large and the victims inconsolable.
Often accused of suffering from foot-in-mouth disease, Khan said in Rampur on Monday, “Gangrape is a heinous crime but what is the truth behind the incident. The State Government must also probe whether this incident is a move by Opposition parties to defame the SP Government. People wanting to come to power may be stooping to any low for narrow political ends.”
“When innocent people can be murdered for political gains, for votes Gujarat and Muzaffarnagar can happen, when Shamli and Kairana can happen...It is not just a matter of two rapes. It is important to know the truth behind it,” Khan was heard as saying in a video that has gone viral on social media.
“The State Government has performed well. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has a clean image and there are no charges of corruption and misconduct against any Minister. In development, Uttar Pradesh is head and shoulder above other States,” claimed Khan. Justifying the action against policemen, the Minister said that the Government should also keep tabs on political rivals.
Reacting to Khan’s allegations, State BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said it was shameful that a senior Minister could make such outrageous comment. “If you cannot give relief to the victims, you should not add insult to injury,” he said and demanded that the CM should apologise for Khan’s (mis)conduct.
“He is doing politics on gangrape now. It’s a matter of shame,” UP BJP chief KP Maurya said, and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
At a Press conference in Delhi, BJP’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the comments by Khan showed how low the ruling party can stoop for votes.
Chairman of Congress media cell, Satyadeo Tripathi said, “Azam Khan is in the habit of making irresponsible statements in the intemperate language. If the CM has any honour for women, he should immediately dismiss the errant Minister from the Cabinet.’’
Khan’s insensitive comment also drew a lot of flak on the social media, particularly on Twitter. People overwhelmingly condemned the statement. One comment targeting Khan said ‘there is no bottom-line to stoop low, but the race for this is very disturbing’.
At the same time, there has been no headway in the probe. Questions have also been raised by locals as to whether those arrested were really involved in the crime in which a woman and her teenage daughter were gang-raped and robbed.
Bulandshahr MP Bhola Singh said the police arrested three persons in haste to fulfil the assurance of the Chief Minister of a speedy action. Innocent people are being harassed by the police, he alleged, adding that the real culprits are being spared under political pressure.
“It was a national shame when a dozen criminals robbed the entire family and gang-raped the mother and her teenage daughter for three hours. The police control room did not respond to the four calls made on its 100 number. To suspend over six police officers is eyewash to save the Government’s image,” he said.
Meanwhile, the victim family has threatened to commit suicide if the accused are not punished within three months.
“We were looted, beaten up and we all know what they did to my daughter. If they are not punished within three months, then all three of us will commit suicide,” said the minor victim’s father.
“There were seven-eight men. They tied our hands and feet and beat us. They kept beating us even when we begged for water,” the thirty-nine -year-old man said, alleging that they did not get any help on dialing police control room number 100.