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Updated: Jun 14, 2014 11:02 IST

A war of words between BJP and Congress has started over the alleged involvement of Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers, Nihal Chand Meghwal, in a rape case.

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot has demanded Meghwal’s resignation on moral grounds.

Bharatiya Janata Party Rajasthan president Ashok Parnami said Pilot is concerned over the law and order situation of the state even as BJP has controlled crime to a great extent. He asked whether Pilot forgot the previous Congress regime in which three ministers were accused of involvement in rape and two ministers and a MLA are in jail even now.

A Jaipur metropolitan court on Thursday had issued notices to Meghwal and 16 others in a four-year-old sexual exploitation case.

A woman had accused her husband of drugging her and then letting his associates rape her. In the FIR, the victim had also named Meghwal.

A year later, the police closed the case in 2012, stating the charges were false and fabricated.

The victim had then approached the court against the final report which was submitted by the police. The court dismissed the charges and had accepted the final report. Later she approached the district court which also dismissed the charges.

Then she went in for revision following which the district court on Thursday issued notices to Meghwal and 16 others in this case asking them to respond by August 20.

Police had on November 23, 2011, filed an FIR against 17 persons on various charges including raping a woman.