SP wants strict penalty against guilty: Dimple Yadav

She said that it is a very important social issue and should be dealt with all seriousness

In the wake of controversial comments made by her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav and husband Akhilesh Yadav after the Badaun incident, Uttar Pradesh MP Dimple Yadav today termed the rising cases of crime against women as an important "social issue" which needed to be taken up with "seriousness".

"This is a very important social issue facing the country. It is very sensitive. I think we should take it up with all seriousness and deliberate over it," she told reporters in the Parliament premises.

She said that Samajwadi Party wants strict penalty should be given to the guilty and the state government was working towards it.

The Uttar Pradesh government is under fire over its handling of the gangrape-cum-murder of two girls in Badaun and some statements of party bigwigs, including SP supremo Mulayam and his Chief Minister son Akhilesh, have only added to the furore.

Mulayam today again struck a defiant note over the UN and US criticism of the incident, saying Uttar Pradesh was a big state of 21 crore people while Delhi is facing "problems" with a population of two crore.

"You people can only see UP," he told the media.

Smarting under the severe defeat in Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam did not hide his displeasure yesterday at the media spotlight over the gangrape and murder of two teenaged sisters, and had told reporters, "You do your work and let us do our work."

Under intense criticism over the incident, Akhilesh had earlier said a Google search would show such crimes occurring across the country while accusing the media of playing up incidents taking place in his state.