Unnao gangrape case: Sack Adityanath, says Cong

The Congress on Wednesday demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women after an 18-year-old alleged she was gang-raped and her father died in police custody in the state's Unnao district.

"Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"Yogi Adityanath has no right to continue as the chief minister. He should be immediately dismissed," Surjewala said.

The 18-year-old woman has alleged she was raped by Bangermau BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers.

The victim's father died in custody in Unnao yesterday, prompting the woman to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP legislator.

The police yesterday arrested Atul Singh, brother of the BJP legislator, in connection with the gangrape.

In a separate tweet, the Congress party said: "It is shocking that the Yogi Govt has withdrawn a rape case against a former BJP minister. This move will further embolden criminals and jeopardise women's security in a state that has witnessed a sharp rise in crimes against women."

The party attached a news report with the tweet about the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda.

In Lucknow, the state government spokesman Siddhartnath Singh told reporters yesterday that though the government has taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter will finally be decided by the court.

The FIR against Chinmayananda was lodged on November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.