Rape-accused MLA Sengar suspended from party long ago: UP BJP chief
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh BJP said on Tuesday that rape-accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar was suspended from the party long ago, amid growing demands to sack the lawmaker after the Unnao rape survivor was critically injured in a car-truck collision.
"Sengar was suspended by the party earlier and there is no change in his status," state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh told PTI.
"There is no change in the position of the party and the government, which is standing with the victim of the Unnao (rape) case," Singh said. He added that all possible help was also being extended to those who are undergoing treatment in a hospital here.
A car in which the Unnao rape victim, her family and lawyer were travelling was hit by an overspeeding truck in Rae Bareli on Sunday, killing two members while leaving her and the advocate critically injured, police had said.
The police had filed a murder case against Sengar and nine others on Monday after the rape survivor's family filed a complaint, alleging conspiracy behind the incident.
Sengar, a four-time MLA from Bangermau, was arrested in April last year on charges on rape. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma also said on Tuesday that Sengar had already been suspended from the party long ago.
Sharma visited the King George's Medical University (KGMU) to inquire about the health of the two injured.
"He (Sengar) has already been suspended. Strictest action has been taken," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader told reporters outside the trauma centre when asked about when the party would sack Sengar.
Meanwhile, hospital spokesperson Sandeep Tiwari siad there was no improvement in the condition of the two. "The situation is critical. Both of them are in the ICU and kept on ventilator," he added.
The deputy chief minister said the government would provide the best treatment to them.
"If needed, best doctors will be brought for them. We have initiated strict action and an FIR was lodged under the sections as the family members of victims wanted," Sharma said.
The police had filed a murder case against Sengar and nine others on Monday after the rape survivor's family filed a complaint, alleging conspiracy behind the incident.
Sengar, a four-time MLA from Bangermau, was arrested in April last year on charges on rape.
The demand for Sengar's expulsion from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who, in a tweet this morning, said, "For Gods sake, Mr. Prime Minister, divest this criminal and his brother of the political power your party is giving them."
Congress party workers came out against the BJP in Lucknow, staging a dharna and demanding Sengar's expulsion from the saffron party. They were detained as they started marching towards the BJP office.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati had also accused the saffron party of complicity.
"The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP...The Supreme Court needs to take cognisance of it," Mayawati tweeted.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav had visited the hospital to meet the rape survivor and her family.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
