The Congress, which has been raising the Naliya gangrape issue aggressively in the Gujarat Assembly, today cooperated with the government for the passage of Budget, but not before extracting an assurance from the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on a fair probe in the case.
When the proceedings began today, the Congress MLAs created a din on the issue, prompting the Speaker Ramanlal Vora to adjourn the proceedings for an hour.
While raising the gang rape case in the question hour, the Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar objected to the remarks made by the MoS for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja on black dresses worn by the Congress legislators yesterday, which was already expunged by the Speaker.
As the Congress MLAs resorted to sloganeering, the Speaker once again adjourned the house for an hour.
When the Assembly reconvened, the Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela sought assurance from the government over the investigation into the case, saying they will allow the House to function only after such promise is made.
Stepping in, Rupani said his government had taken a strict action against all the accused persons by arresting them immediately after the complaint was filed.
"We have also arrested the BJP members named in the gangrape case and suspended them from the party," he said.
Saying that nobody will be spared, Rupani asked Vaghela to give his suggestion on the probe and assured him of acting on it.
To this, Vaghela demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the incident, however, the CM did not commit anything.
The Congress then agreed to allow the House to function for the presentation of the state Budget 2017-18.
Taking up the issue aggressively, the Congress yesterday disrupted the customary address of state Governor O P Kohli and created a din, resulting in repeated adjournments and suspension of nearly 48 party MLAs for the day.
The gangrape incident dates back to last year.
In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman had stated she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions by threatening to release the video clip of the said act.
A Special Investigation Team had arrested eight persons, including four local BJP leaders, in connection with the incident.
The party has since suspended them after their names cropped up in the FIR.
According to the woman, the accused persons used to run a sex racket in Kutch district and blackmail the victims.
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