There was an uproar in Parliament today when proceedings were marred by protests by the Opposition over the Unnao rape case. On July 28, the victim, who accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her, was seriously injured when her vehicle was rammed by a truck. The woman and her lawyer are both in critical condition in hospital while two others died in the accident. Her family called it a “planned attack”.

In the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and five others gave an adjournment motion notice over “gruesome crimes against women, a matter of great concern”, according to reports. Chowdhury called it a “blot on civilised society”.

According to reports, slogans like “Prime Minister jawab do” and “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Ka Kya Hua?” were raised by Opposition members from the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as they approached the Speaker’s podium.

In the Rajya Sabha, the tabling of the triple talaq bill was interrupted by protests. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav called the accident an “attempt to kill” the victim and said rape accused Kuldeep Sengar should be moved to a jail outside Uttar Pradesh. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal retorted that the CBI had ordered a probe and these were attempts to “defame” the Yogi Adityanath government. 

Subsequently, Opposition members gathered outside Parliament to stand in protest.

Even before the ruckus in Parliament, senior Opposition leaders united in their condemnation of the accident and the BJP government’s treatment of the case.

In a series of tweets, Priyanka Gandhi pulled up the BJP for its “audacity” of running its “भयमुक्त उत्तर प्रदेश” campaign while the victim is “grievously wounded”, and asked if it had any “moral duty towards its citizens”. She urged PM Narendra Modi to “divest this criminal and his brother of the political power your party is giving them”. 

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said the July 28 accident looked like a “conspiracy” to kill the rape victim and asked the Supreme Court to “take cognizance of the matter and ensure strict action”.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow: “The BJP is a very sanskaari party, disciplined party … don’t know when the BJP will investigate this case.”

India Gate protest

Yesterday, 200 people gathered at India Gate at 7 pm to protest the recent turn of events in the Unnao rape case. Led by prominent personalities like Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, the crowd was dominated by women who had come together to express their dissent.

Urging people not to sloganeer, Yadav said, “A girl is on the ventilator. She is in critical condition. This march is not part of any political or organisational agenda. We are here to let the girl know that she is not alone.”

He said: “A woman comes out against a politician, accusing him of sexually assaulting her. Rather than investigating into her complaint, her relatives are taken into custody. She tries self-immolation. Her father dies in the custody of the police. Prime witnesses die under suspicious circumstances. She and her family have constantly been urging their case be shifted from there [Uttar Pradesh] as they are receiving constant threats. The day of the accident, the security officials allotted to her are not with her.  A truck with its number plate blacked out rams into her car and doesn’t do anything to any other vehicle or person. How is this a coincidence?” 

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan called governance in Uttar Pradesh a “mafia raj”. “I have never seen such a coincidence. It’s clear that mafia raj is going on in Uttar Pradesh and something needs to be done to fix it.”

Members of the crowd expressed their shame and disappointment. One of the protestors, Suparna Singh, said she’s “done listening to Modiji’s Mann Ki Baat and want our Mann Ki Baat to be heard now”. She said, “Does the Yogi government only care about cow safety? What about our safety? The fact that [BJP MP] Sakshi Maharaj visits Kuldeep Singh Sengar inside jail … clearly explains that the BJP is with the rapist and not with the victim.”

Suparna Singh.

Another protestor, Shahrura, said she’s from Kashmir and is currently preparing for her UPSC exams. She said, “The problem is there’s a threat to anyone who voices their opinion.”  

Newslaundry asked Yadav what faith one should have in an institution like the CBI. He said, “I won’t blame the CBI as it did its job. Its chargesheet mentions that her father was wrongly accused and it said that she should be given security. The problem is with the execution of the orders. If it doesn’t get implemented then what’s the point of having it?”

Harshita Khurana, a lawyer attending the protest, said she’s ashamed that India voted for the BJP for a second time. “The least we expect is the party disassociating itself with this person and removing him out from the party. Instead, he is being met by the leaders like Sakshi Maharaj, thanking him for his influence behind his victory.”

Harshita Khurana.

There was also palpable anger against the UP government’s announcement that it would help the victim receive treatment, and provide her with legal assistance. “How shameful can it be?” said Yadav. “First you kill most of her family members and harass her for coming out in the open. Then you offer money in return.”