Senior leader 'intervened' to prevent arrest of Senger: BJP leader on Unnao case

A senior Uttar Pradesh BJP leader's claim that a top saffron party leader had "intervened" to prevent the arrest of rape-accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger has triggered a huge political storm.  

Opposition parties accused BJP of "shielding" the lawmaker.

State BJP leader I P Singh leader said in a tweet that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had decided to get Senger arrested following the rape allegation when the latter had gone to meet him to put forth his side of the story on Tuesday.

"Yogiji had decided to get the MLA arrested inside the chief minister's office...  a decision to suspend the district police was also taken... but suddenly everything came to a halt following the intervention of a senior leader and the party had to suffer the humiliation," the leader claimed.

Singh, however, did not reveal the identity of the senior leader, who had intervened.

The state BJP leaders, however, sought to distance themselves from Singh's remarks saying that the party had nothing to do with his claims.

"I P Singh is not supposed to be told about the decisions taken by the chief minister... he does not hold any post in the party... this is his personal opinion," BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi said here.

The Opposition parties, however, pounced on the remarks saying that they proved that the rape-accused MLA was being shielded by the saffron party leaders.

"We do not expect that this government will do justice with the rape victim... the ruling party is protecting the accused," said a Samajwadi Party leader.