After much dilly-dallying, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday succumbed to immense public pressure and expelled four-time Uttar Pradesh legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is under scanner for an alleged attempt to kill the woman he was accused of raping.
The party's decision came on the day the Supreme Court took a serious note of the incident and ordered that all the cases pertaining to rape and the road accident of the victim will be investigated in New Delhi, not Uttar Pradesh.
BJP MP and spokesperson G.V L Narsimha Rao said that there is no place for any person in the party who is facing serious charges.
Sources said that the party was forced to take action against the MLA because of growing public outrage and the tough stand taken by the SC sealed Sengar's fate.
The party had earlier refrained from taking stern action as the legislator was seen to be close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Party leaders said that now defending him had become untenable in wake of the growing sentiment both outside and within the party.
Representing Bangarmau assembly constituency in Unnao, Sengar had joined the BJP in 2017. It had taken immense pressure for the BJP to ensure Sengar is arrested after he was accused of raping a woman in Unnao.
The rape victim is battling for her life after being seriously injured in a road accident on July 28 near Rae Bareli. Sengar, who is in jail, is under scanner for his alleged role in the accident in which victim's two aunts died and her lawyer got seriously injured.
He has been in all the political parties in Uttar Pradesh starting with the Congress, then joining the Bahujan Samaj Party before having a stint with Samajwadi Party and finally landing in the BJP.
UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh on Wednesday had said that Sengar was under suspension amidst growing demands for his expulsion. Sources said that his political clout in the region forced BJP to delay the decision to expel him.
Jiten accuses RO of West Parliamentary seat for being ‘biased’ in election process; writes ECI
The Leader of Opposition and also the CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday accused the Returning Officer of the West Parliamentary constituency of the Lok Sabha Dr Vishal Kumar over his ‘discriminatory’ attitude towards the opposition parties.
MHA extends AFSPA in parts of Arunachal and Nagaland for 6 more months
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months with effect from April 1, officials said on Thursday.
Arunachal was, is, and will remain an integral part of India: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that China's repetitive claims on Arunachal Pradesh will not change India's position, and the northeastern state will remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
‘To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture', says PM Modi on lawyers’ letter to CJI
Reacting to an open letter to the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, which was signed by over 600 advocates on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that to "browbeat and bully others is the vintage culture of the Congress".
'Unacceptable, unwarranted': India again slams US' remarks on Arvind Kejriwal
Calling the US State Department's remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal "unwarranted", India on Thursday said that any such external imputation on the electoral and legal process is completely unacceptable.
Excise policy case: Delhi court extends CM Kejriwal's ED custody till April 1
CM Kejriwal, whose alleged role in the excise policy scam is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was produced before Special Judge Kaweri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court on the expiry of his six-day ED remand on Thursday.
CM not above law, says ED as Kejriwal questions rationale behind his arrest
"The case has been going on for two years. The case was filed on August 17. No court has found me guilty. There are no charges against me nor has any case been filed against me. But I have been arrested," he said.
Ukrainian FM arrives in India to build on talks between PM Modi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In a first high-level visit by a Ukrainian leader since the start of hostilities with Russia in 2022, Kuleba began his two-day official visit at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.