BSP, BJP, Cong slam Akhilesh govt over Bulandshahr rape case

New Delhi/Lucknow: Attacking the Samajwadi Party government over the brutal gangrape of a woman and her teenager daughter in Bulandshahr, opposition parties on Sunday alleged that 'jungleraaj' prevailed in Uttar Pradesh.

"The SP government and its head must tell the people if they can return the modesty of women in such a painful and heinous crime," BSP supremo Mayawati said.

She alleged that there was complete 'jungleraaj' in the state and criminal elements were roaming freely.

Demanding action against culprits, she said action should be taken against policemen for laxity.

Hitting out at the Akhilesh Yadav government, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said, "When will this end? It shows that the state government has collapsed on every front. They cannot save the honour of a daughter. It is shameful and they should step down."

BJP state unit general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the incident proved that law and order has derailed in UP, and police administration was lax.

"It's a slap on the face of police administration, which makes tall claims of ensuring safety of the people," he said.

BJP MP from Bulandshahr Bhola Singh said, "It is a sad, painful incident. My sympathies with the family. I have talked to the police and am in touch with the administration. Those guilty should be held at the earliest and punished."

"When a woman accompanied by her family is not safe, how would those alone be safe? Under Samajwadi Party rule, even the streets are not safe let along the highways. In villages, girls and women cannot go out of homes... It's 'goonda raj'," he said.

Describing the incident as "chilling", "barbaric" and one that has "shocked human conscience", Congress said the state government must take decisive action in the matter.

"The gang rape incident in heart-rending, it's shocking. It has shocked human conscience. The way in presence of male members of family, a mother and daughter are traumatised and raped... It's a chilling story of how barbaric human beings can become," Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.

"What is the Samajwadi party and Akhilesh government going to do about it? Please, for heaven's sake, take decisive action and punish the perpetrators of the ghastly crime at the earliest," he said.

A woman and her 14-year-old daughter were travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur along with their family on Friday night when bandits waylaid them on NH 91 near Dostpur village in Bulandshahr and brutally raped them after dragging them out of their car.

So far 15 people have been arrested in the case and the main accused identified, as police have launched a manhunt to arrest the perpetrators with the Chief Minister giving the police "24 hours' time" to crack the case.