Uttar Pradesh: Congress' Ajay Rai demands strict action in Ayodhya gang-rape case

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 17 : Congress Uttar Pradesh chief, Ajay Rai, has called for strict punishment for those accused in the alleged gang rape of a woman in Ayodhya.
Rai, who met the victim's father in Ayodhya on Tuesday, described the incident as "unfortunate" and highlighted the widespread corruption in the state, while demanding stringent action against the culprits.
Earlier, on September 15, Akhilesh Yadav had shared a post on X in which the woman shared her ordeal.
"The video statement of a gang rape victim in Ayodhya has exposed the root cause of the increasing harassment and atrocities against women in UP. The victim had to endure significant hardships to file a report due to the indifference of certain police officers. This complexity in filing reports means that many crimes go unregistered, which emboldens criminals," Yadav said on X.
Congress chief Rai also described the encounter of gangster Mangesh Yadav as "fake."
"The encounter of Mangesh Yadav was entirely fabricated. I visited Mangesh's family, and he was taken from his home and killed. His entire family has been devastated," Rai stated.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the BJP government over alleged fake encounters in the state, claiming a "pattern" had emerged.
In a post on X, the SP chief said, "A pattern of encounters has been set under BJP rule: first someone is picked up, then a fake encounter story is concocted, followed by staged photos shown to the world. After the murder, when the family reveals the truth, they are pressured and offered various temptations."
"The more the BJP and its forces try to prove these encounters as genuine, the more apparent it becomes that they are false. The BJP has orchestrated an encounter with the truth itself," he added.
Last week, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dismissed the Samajwadi Party's allegations.
"You see, when a mafia or a dacoit is killed in a police encounter, it seems as if a sensitive nerve has been struck, and they begin to protest. Tell me, if a dacoit, killed in an encounter, had been left to continue his crimes, could the Samajwadi Party have restored the lives lost? During their rule, the police used to run while the goons chased them. Today, the roles are reversed. The mafia is running, and the police are in pursuit," the Chief Minister remarked.