Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shaina NC and Congress leader Shobha Oza have both urged the Samajwadi Party (SP) leadership to respond to Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik's query regarding the continuance of rape accused Gayatri Prajapati in the state cabinet.
Shaina NC said, "The governor has raised a pertinent question on Gayatri Prajapati as he is absconding. It's a high time that the Samajwadi Party (SP) must raise this issue and address to the public about his whereabouts and why he hasn't been arrested? I think it is within the governor's purview to do so."
"Governor Ram Naik's question is completely correct because Gayatri Prajapati being a minister is not only a convicted criminal but is also absconding. It's a responsibility of SP to answer this serious question," Shaina told ANI.
Oza said, "It will be good if all governors in India will express concerns like this about women security and safety. In Gujarat, 40 minors were raped and pushed into a sex trade by BJP's ministers and councilors. The governor must scold the government and order strict action by the chief minister."
"If one is concerned about women security, then starting from the PM to all his governors who are from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP serving in different parts of India must also be concerned about this. It is good that the UP governor is concerned about women security," Oza told ANI.
She added, "It will be better if the governors sitting in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat where there is BJP governance, will also express concerned about this when BJP ministers are accused of rapes and gang rapes."
Earlier on Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh Police issued non-bailable warrants against Prajapati and six others in connection with the rape charges.
Prajapati's passport has been revoked for four weeks to prevent him from attempting to flee out of the country.
Earlier this week, the police also initiated proceedings for a look out notice against Prajapati following reports that he may try to escape abroad to evade arrest.
On February 20, Prajapati moved the Supreme Court against its order of registering an FIR against him and sought protection from the arrest and recall of the apex court's earlier order.
The apex court had directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to file a status report in the case within a period of eight weeks.
A 35-year-old woman had accused Prajapati of raping her when she met him three years ago.
He is also accused of taking obscene photos of the victim and threatening her to make the photos public and raping her for the past two years.
However, Prajapati claimed it to be a conspiracy of the BJP in order to distract people's attention from the assembly polls.
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