The Congress on Monday demanded that the Supreme Court take cognisance of the accident involving the Unnao rape survivor and order court-monitored probe in the cases of accident and rape in which Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is an accused.
The opposition party alleged that the accident was a conspiracy to kill the rape victim in a road accident and no justice can be expected from the UP government, which was part of it and was extending support to the perpetrators of the crime.
"We would demand the Supreme Court of India take suo moto cognisance of this particular accident, as well as entire unfortunate rape incident and all attended probes and judicial proceedings. They should proceed under the supervision and superintendence of the apex court," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
Otherwise there will be no justice in this matter as this is not the only incident which has taken place, he said.
"Our demand is that in this case the Supreme Court should take cognisance on the basis of its discretion. Because, the manner in which the attempt has been made to kill the victim, the UP government cannot object to it," he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP over the accident and took a dig at the Modi government's 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' scheme.
Also Read
"Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao. A new special education bulletin for Indian women. Don't ask questions if a BJP MLA is accused of having raped you," Gandhi said in a tweet, tagging a media report about the accident.
In the Sunday accident, a car carrying the 19-year-old woman, who has accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, her family and lawyer was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli. While her two family members were killed in the accident, she and her lawyer were critically injured.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed the road accident "shocking" and asked why the party was not taking action against Sengar.
Priyanka Gandhi wondered whether any hope for justice can be expected from the ruling BJP.
"Where has the CBI probe in this case reached. Why is the accused MLA still part of the BJP? Why is there laxity in the security of the victim and the witnesses," she asked on Twitter.
She asked if one can hope for any justice from the BJP government without an answer to these questions.
"What is the BJP waiting for? Why has this man not been expelled from their party even when his name is in the latest FIR in the Unnao rape case," Priyanka asked.
"Does it have no moral duty towards its citizens anymore, or was that never on its agenda anyway," she tweeted.
The Congress leader said the woman is lying grievously wounded in a hospital after the accident, but the accused continues as a BJP legislator, and the state BJP government has the audacity to run a campaign claiming "Fear-free Uttar Pradesh".
"So a woman is allegedly raped by a BJP MLA. Her father is beaten up and dies in custody. A key witness dies mysteriously last year. Now her aunt who was also a witness is killed and her lawyer is critically injured in an accident caused by a truck with blackened number plates," she later tweeted.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the incident was a conspiracy to kill the woman.
"Unnao and UP demand justice for the victim daughter of the abominable rape crime. But instead of justice, what has happened is a conspiracy to kill," Surjewala tweeted.
"While her father was killed in police custody, now she has lost her family and is herself battling for life," he said. "Adityanath ji, my murderer is also my judge. Will he give a decision in my favour," he asked.
Tewari said the premeditated intent to kill the survivor and her family is extremely shocking and disturbing and it has shocked the collective conscience of the citizenry.
He said that since June 2017, when she was allegedly raped, concerted attempts have been made by the UP government to shield its MLA who is the principal accused in this unfortunate and reprehensible incident involving a minor girl.
Tewari alleged that what took place on Sunday was something absolutely shocking which shook the foundation of collective faith of people in the justice system, whereby a brazen attempt was made to murder the rape victim.
"This is something which is unprecedented, which we have never seen happening in democratic India with this level of impunity," he claimed.
Tewari cited another shocking incident in Amethi, where a former captain of the Indian Army was dragged out of his house and "lynched to death".
"This all goes to show that there is complete lawlessness, complete anarchy in Uttar Pradesh.
"People who are close to the powers that be in UP are able to get away with wanton murder with impunity and what you are witnessing is a complete breakdown of the constitutional scheme of law and order in the state," the Congress leader alleged.
To a question on the UP police statement that it was just another accident, the former Union minister said if somebody was trying to dismiss it like that "then I am afraid and I say with full sense of responsibility that the person should be construed as part of the cover up".
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content