Mamata Banerjee demands high-level inquiry into accident of Unnao rape survivor

Accusing BJP of defaming West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said that the party should instead examine incidents of crime happening in Uttar Pradesh.

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Firing a double-barrelled gun aimed at the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded a high-level inquiry into the accident involving the Unnao rape survivor.

The survivor is in a critical condition after the car she was travelling in on Sunday was hit by a truck. While UP Police has said that it appears to have been a case of road accident, opposition parties have been pointing to the possibility of a conspiracy because the survivor had levelled charges of rape against BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar in 2018. Mamata too said that the accident was extremely unfortunate and needs to be probed for the truth. "Everyday they (BJP) defame Bengal but does the government have any idea about what is happening in UP? What happened in Unnao? Two relatives of the victim died and she is in serious condition. There should be a high-power inquiry," said the TMC chief who has been involved in a tense battle with the BJP for quite some time now.

Claiming that the Central Bureau of Investigation works at the direction of the Centre, Mamata also asked why CBI's help has not been sought for to probe Sunday's accident. She also alleged that incidents of mob lynching and murder are on the rise in UP but that the BJP is too busy highlighting incidents of violence in West Bengal.

The UP government under Yogi Adityanath may indeed have to fight fire as opposition parties, including Congress, have grouped together to demand an independent inquiry into Sunday's accident. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has gone to the extent of terming the accident as a murder conspiracy. On Monday, it was reported that the UP government is open for a CBI probe into the accident.