SC ruling on UP rape case a ‘stamp on prevailing jungle raj’: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today said the Supreme Court's ruling in the Unnao rape case, in which a Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker is the main accused, is a "stamp on the prevailing jungle raj" in the saffron party-ruled Uttar Pradesh and the state government's "failure".

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a slew of instructions in the case, including the direction of the transfer of trial in all the five cases in connection with the Unnao rape incident from a court in Uttar Pradesh to a court in the national capital, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"The Supreme Court's decision is a stamp on the prevailing jungle raj in Uttar Pradesh and the state government's failure," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The BJP has finally acknowledged that it had given protection to a criminal and by expelling him it has taken at least one step to correct its mistake," she said.

Facing mounting public outrage and the opposition's attack on the issue, the BJP on Thursday expelled lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Unnao rape accused, from the party.

Sengar was arrested on April 13 last year after a woman accused him of raping her at his residence in 2017.

Public anger over the matter rose further after Sengar was accused of orchestrating a road accident involving a car in which the rape survivor and her lawyer were travelling, leaving the woman and the advocate critically injured. Two of the rape survivor's aunts were killed when their car was hit by a speeding truck in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli.

The girl's family alleged that the accident was an attempt to eliminate her.

"Facing so many troubles and fighting pain, Unnao's daughter has now hope of getting justice," Priyanka Gandhi said in a series of tweets.

"I thank all the Congress workers and citizens fighting for justice for Unnao's daughter," she said.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had also directed for the trial in the Unnao rape case to be held on a daily basis and completing it within 45 days.

The apex court further directed the Uttar Pradesh government to provide Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the rape victim.