BHU-IIT gangrape case, BJP should look into its own lap: CPI (ML)

Lucknow, 31 December. CPI(ML) has said that the BJP should look into its own lap after last night's arrest of the three accused in the BHU-IIT gangrape case that took place on November 1 and two of them being associated with the BJP's IT cell.

In a statement issued on Sunday, CPI(ML) State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said that according to reports, one of the accused (Kunal Pandey) is the city coordinator of BJP IT cell Varanasi, while the other (Saksham Patel) is the city co-coordinator of the cell. The third accused of gang rape and making a nude video of the female student is Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan.

The State Secretary said that it took two months to arrest them because of their connection with the ruling party. The police kept avoiding laying hands on them. If BHU students had not launched a massive agitation for their arrest, the matter would have been swept under the rug due to their belonging to the ruling party. Ultimately the pressure of the student movement worked. The party has demanded strict punishment for the accused.

The CPI(ML) leader said that their arrest has once again exposed the chaal (going), charitra (character) and chehra (face) of the BJP. Its MP Brij Bhushan is accused in the court of sexual harassment of female wrestlers. Its Duddhi MLA (now former) Ramdular Gond has been sentenced to 25 years in jail in the rape case of a minor. Now the BHU-IIT rape case has also been linked to BJP. In such a situation, BJP should look inside itself vis-a-vis its words and actions.

The CPI(ML) leader said that during the agitation at BHU gate demanding the arrest of the accused, ABVP goons affiliated with Sangh-BJP had attacked the students of AISA-BCM. While doing this, they were supporting the accused from their own 'family'. Now after the arrest of the accused, everything has become clear, hence the cases registered against AISA-BCM students should also be withdrawn and action should be taken against the attackers.