Akhilesh Yadav urges government to protect Ayodhya rape victim

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday urged the government to order protection for the Ayodhya rape victim considering the "sensitivity" of the case. He also said people trying to "politicise" the case must not be allowed to succeed.

"The government should make the best possible medical arrangements for the rape survivor. It is the government's responsibility to protect the girl's life," Yadav said in a post on X.

"It is a humble request to the honourable court to take suo motu cognisance of the situation and ensure all possible security to the girl under its supervision, considering the sensitivity and seriousness of the situation. The motive of ill-intentioned people to politicise such incidents should never succeed," he added.

Yadav had on Saturday sparked a controversy with his demand for a DNA test of the two men accused of raping a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant.

On 30 July, Ayodhya Police arrested Moid Khan, who runs a bakery in Bhadarsa Nagar in the Purakalandar police station area, and his employee Raju Khan in the case.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, defended the SP chief, who is facing backlash over his demand to conduct the DNA test.

“What Akhilesh Yadav is asking, the DNA tests, have been used in cases like these in the past to find out, verify the accused, or the police, administration suspect,” Dikshit told PTI.

Dikshit alleged since the accused are associated with the ruling BJP, they try to cover it in the “most shameful manner”. The party is getting more interested in politicising the incident, alleged Dikshit.

While BSP chief Mayawati asked how many accused were subjected to DNA tests under the SP rule in such cases, the BJP alleged that Yadav had given a "clean chit" to accused Moid Khan, who is linked to the Samajwadi Party.

"Without a DNA test in the Bhadarsa case of Ayodhya, the BJP's allegation will be considered biased," Yadav had earlier said. Other SP leaders have also demanded a NARCO test in the case. In the wake of his remark, the BJP accused the SP of defending a "paedophile" and showing its "boys will be boys" mentality.

Earlier in his statement, Yadav had alleged that the BJP was rattled after its defeat in Lok Sabha elections, specially in Ayodhya. The SP chief also demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government immediately provide an assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the victim's family.

According to police, Moid and Raju had raped the girl two months ago and also recorded the act. The incident came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant during a medical checkup.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has alleged that Khan is a member of the Samajwadi Party and is part of the team of Faizabad (the constituency which contains Ayodhya) MP Awadhesh Prasad.

"This is a case of Ayodhya. Moid Khan is from SP and is a member of the Ayodhya MP's team. He has been found involved in the rape of a 12-year-old girl. The Samajwadi Party has not taken any action against him," Adityanath had said in the UP Assembly on Thursday, having met the girl's family last week.

The Ayodhya district administration demolished Khan's bakery on Saturday. Ayodhya district magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh had then told PTI that the bakery was illegally built over a pond.

With PTI inputs