Unnao rape case: Congress terms Adityanath 'real culprit', demands resignation

The Congress has alleged that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the "real culprit" in the Unnao rape case and demanded his immediate sacking. The opposition party also hit out at the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh over its "indictment" by the Allahabad High Court, saying the chief minister's position had become "rudderless" in the state.

"The real culprit of the Unnao victim, who was reportedly raped in June, 2017 and who pleaded at the doorstep of the BJP chief minister, even attempting self-immolation, is no one else but the CM, Ajay Singh Bisht alias Adityanath, and he should immediately be sacked," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement in New Delhi.

He also referred to excerpts from the court's observation on the Unnao case and alleged that Uttar Pradesh had become "Ravana Rajya" for women, Dalits and farmers during the BJP rule.

"BJP leaders have mastered the art of extending state protection to rapists, shaming the victim and her family, defending the accused and crying conspiracy...And the Adityanath government has perfected this art to the hilt," Surjewala alleged.

The high court's observations on Friday revealed "how a chief minister can become deaf, blind and mute to a heinous crime like rape, the custodial death of the victim's father and the continuous loud cries of the victim's family", he said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made the second arrest in the Unnao rape case today as it took into custody Shashi Singh, the woman who allegedly took the 17-year-old victim girl to the prime accused, BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, officials said.

(With inputs from PTI)