Cong demand rape charges against BJP MP Chinmayanand

Adopting an offensive posture ahead of the forthcoming assembly by-polls on 11 seats, Congress would be undertaking 'padyatra' (foot march) to protest, what it alleged attempts to ''save'' former BJP MP Swami Chinmayananda, who was accused of raping a law student.

According to the UP Congress leaders here, the 175-kilometre long 'padyatra' would begin from Shahajahanpur, the home town of the rape victim, on Monday and would end in the state capital next week.

''The padyatra is aimed at exposing the BJP, which, though indulges in tall talks on women safety issues but does exactly the opposite, when their leaders are the culprits,'' said senior Congress leader Ajai Kumar Singh on Sunday.

He said that the district administration was working as an ''agent'' of the BJP and was trying to ''shield'' Chinmayananda. ''The rape accused is getting all the facilities in the hospital while the victim is languishing in the jail,'' he said.

Singh said that thousands of party workers and senor leaders would be taking part in the 'padyatra'.

Senior Congress leaders also met the family members of the rape victim in Shahajahanpur on Saturday and assured them the grand old party was with them and would fight until justice was done to the victim.

Sources said that the 'padyatra' was being undertaken on the direction of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had been targeting the BJP on the issue.

Priyanka also took to Twitter to blast the saffron party on the issue. ''The police did not register the case of rape against Chinmayananda despite the statement of the victim....what else can we expect from the administration, which was found to be garlanding the seer,'' she said.

Chinmayananda was booked for misusing his position and ''sexually exploiting'' the victim. The law student was accused of extortion and was in the jail after being arrested.