india

Updated: Aug 08, 2020 00:08 IST

The news of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s conviction brought a smile on Unnao rape survivor’s face but she wanted death penalty for the BJP leader.

The survivor is in Delhi under medical observation ever since she was airlifted from Lucknow after she was severely injured in a road mishap in Rae Bareli in July this year. Her sister said, “I told her about the verdict. She smiled. She asked when the accused will be hanged. I had no answer to that.”

She added, “We lost our father and aunts in the battle. This man should not be allowed to roam free even after 10 years.”

“If he comes out after some years, he can be a threat to us,” she said. Her mother said, “Our family is destroyed, displaced. We lost family members just because they sought justice for my daughter.”

Meanwhile, Opposition parties have welcomed Sengar’s conviction.

Samajwadi Party MLC (Member of Legislative Council) Sunil Singh ‘Saajan’ said, “We had no faith in the BJP and its government, and had full faith in the judiciary.”

Congress spokesperson Zeeshan Haider said, “Sengar, while being a sitting MLA, committed the crime and the BJP sheltered him. It would have been even better had the BJP government acted in time against him. We welcome the court’s verdict.”

UP BJP spokesperson Navin Srivastava said, “Sengar’s conviction is a triumph of justice, but it also underscores CM Yogi Adityanath’s zero tolerance on matters as sensitive as this. After the FIR, the BJP government recommended a CBI probe, expelled the lawmaker from the party and didn’t accord any special treatment to the accused. Despite facing similar charges, the Akhilesh Yadav government had taken its minister Gayatri Prajapati along during during election campaign.”

Meanwhile Sengar is set to lose his membership of the state assembly. “Kuldeep Singh Sengar stands disqualified from date of his conviction by the court. Under the provisions of Article 191 of the Constitution of India, the Governor will disqualify him from the date of conviction on the report of the Election Commission of India,” said CB Pandey former advisor to governor and a legal expert.

In 2013, the Supreme Court had struck down the provisions that allowed the MPs and MLAs three months’ time for filing appeal against their conviction.