Hyderabad gang-rape: Political row erupts, Oppn looks to target Telangana govt

The gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Hyderabad triggered a political slugfest here as the opposition parties in Telangana demanded that police should take stringent action, without succumbing to any political pressure, against the accused.

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Accusing the Telangana Rashtra Samithi-led state government of trying to protect the accused, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday staged a dharna outside the Jubilee Hills police station.

The police dispersed the BJP activists using force and also took into custody BJP state vice-president and former MLA Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, BJP Mahila Morcha president Gita Murthy, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president Bhanu Prakash and others, for trying to storm into the police station.

Meanwhile, BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay accused the Hyderabad police of being callous in their investigation as the accused were closely related to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and TRS leaders. “Why haven’t the police disclosed the names of the accused so far?” he asked. Senior TRS leader and home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali said there was no question of shielding or sparing anybody in the case. “We have already given strict instructions to the police in this regard. We will take stringent action against the accused irrespective of their background and stature,” he said.

BJP legislator M Raghunandan Rao demanded a CBI probe into the minor girl’s rape. “We don’t have confidence in the state police, who are trying to protect the accused and are closely related to the AIMIM,” he said.

“We wonder whether the police are waiting for a clearance from AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi or chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to make arrests in this case,” said BJP official spokesman K Krishna Sagar Rao.

“It is shameful that the chief minister has not responded to this gory incident of a 17-year-old girl being raped in the heart of the city. Not a single accused has been arrested so far,” Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy said while criticising the state government.

There is no protection for girls and women of any section, whether they are rich or middle class or poor; upper caste or lower caste, Reddy said.

While the AIMIM leaders or spokespersons could not be reached for comment, Telangana IT and municipal administration minister and TRS working president K T Rama Rao expressed shock over the incident and assured to take stern action in this regard.

“Outraged & shocked with the news of the rape of a minor in Hyderabad. Request HM @mahmoodalitrs Garu @TelanganaDGP Garu and @CPHydCity to take immediate & stern action. Please don’t spare anyone involved irrespective of their statuses or affiliations,” KTR tweeted.