Badaun case: UP govt acts tough on top officials
The Akhilesh Yadav government on Monday removed Principal Secretary for Home Anil Gupta, media reports said.
This comes a day after, the UP government sacked state Chief Secretary Javed Usmani.
Pressure mounted up on the state government with the Home Ministry on Monday enquiring it over why the SC/ST Act was not being slapped against the culprits.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told media: "If there is a crime against a person belonging to SC/ST, there are special provisions for it. These should be used. The Home Ministry has written a letter asking for the same to be applied and it should be applied."
However, the Uttar Praesh government reportedly claimed that the victims did not belong to the said castes.
Meanwhile, several political leaders including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, BSP chief Mayawati, LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan met the Badaun victims' family members.
Slamming Akhilesh Yadav, Paswan on Monday told reporters, "Such a horrific incident took place and it has been days, yet neither the CM nor any of his ministers came here. Is he scared to face people's anger or is he trying to protect the culprits?"
"I will take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Paswan, who was accompanied by his son Chirag.
Earlier in the day, BJP women protesters marched towards Akhilesh Yadav's residence and office to demonstrate against the incident when they were stopped by the police who allegedly lathicharged them and used water canons to disperse them.
These come after two Dalit minor sisters were allegedly gangraped and then hanged from a tree at Katra village in Badaun on May 27.
The cousin sisters, aged 14 and 15 respectively, were reportedly missing since May 27 night.
The victims' family alleged that the police refused to register a a First Information Report (FIR) into the incident.
Later, coming under pressure from angry locals who took to the streets demanding action against the culprits, the police registered an FIR against seven people, including two constables of Ushait police station.
Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the Badaun rape case will be sent to a fast track court.
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