Priyanka Gandhi slammed the centre and asked it to divest Kuldeep Sengar of his political power

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today gave lacerating comments on alleged "protection of political power" given to BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar, who has been accused of raping a teenage girl two years ago in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

"Why do we give people like Kuldeep Sengar the strength and protection of political power and abandon their victims to battle for their lives alone? This FIR clearly states that the family was threatened and apprehensive. It even mentions the possibility of a planned accident," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted today as a huge controversy broke out over allegations by the rape survivor's family that the police asked them to "compromise" because they feared losing their jobs.

The teenage girl and her family met with an accident in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck, whose number plate was scrubbed with black paint. The girl is seriously injured and two of her aunts are dead. The girl's lawyer, who was also in the vehicle, has been admitted in hospital with injuries. The security detail that the girl was meant to have, was not accompanying her.

"For God's sake, Mr Prime Minister, divest this criminal and his brother of the political power your party is giving them. It's still not too late," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.

Kuldeep Sengar, who is in jail, used to make calls from inside the prison to threaten the family, said a police complaint filed by the teen's uncle a day after the accident.

The girl's family alleged the lawmaker - a four-time legislator who has been in prison for more than a year - had engineered the accident.

The teen's uncle alleged that the police asked them to "compromise" as they feared losing their jobs. Later, Kuldeep Sengar had called them from the jail, asking them to change their statements in court "if we wanted to live", he said.

According to the FIR, threats from Kuldeep Sengar and his men increased over the last few months after the Allahabad High Court rejected the request of a co-accused in the rape case for bail. The girl's uncle said he had asked the family to move from Unnao to Delhi.

The teen has claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the lawmaker when she went to his Unnao home to seek a job in 2017.

Her father died in police custody, arrested for allegedly possessing illegal arms. Before the arrest, he was beaten up by Atul Sengar, the brother of Kuldeep Sengar, and his men. Atul Sengar has also been arrested and accused of murder. The police personnel in charge of the security of the rape survivor had informed Kuldeep Sengar of her movements, according to the FIR.