Union Minister Balyan tears into Mulayam over his meeting with Prajapati

A day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav met rape accused and former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati at the Lucknow District Jail and asserted of a 'false campaign' being carried out against him, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan said that since the former was a senior leader, he shouldn't be saying such things, citing that the judiciary was doing its job.

"He was slapped with charges and was declared absconding during the Samajwadi Party regime only. So, it's surprising that Mulayam Singh Yadav is saying so. The Government doesn't have any role to play in this. The judiciary is doing its job. And he is a senior leader. He shouldn't say such things," Balyan said.

Ealier, after meeting Prajapati, Mulayam said, "False campaign is being carried out against Gayatri Prajapati. He is being targetted as if he is a terrorist."

Mulayam further said he would meet the Director General Of Police (DGP) and complain in this regard.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister even questioned that about the possibility of a case of rape "when the woman did not even visit Prajapati's house."

Earlier in February, a police complaint was filed against the former minister and six others in the case following the apex court's order.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had also filed a non- bailable warrant against the former minister and six others for the same.

Giving no relief to co-accused in the Prajapati rape case, the Supreme Court earlier on May 4 asked Vikas Verma to surrender before the court within two days.

Prajapati and the two accused were granted bail by the trial court earlier.

However, the Allahabad High Court dismissed their bail order, which was then challenged by the accused in the apex court.

Prajapati was arrested on March 15 from the Aashiyana area in Lucknow by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF).

On May 12, the Lucknow bench upheld its earlier decision to not grant bail to Prajapati, and arrest warrants were issued against Prajapati's aides Pintu Singh and Vikas Verma, in connection with the rape case.

The Samajwadi Party leader, who was also accused of allegedly raping the girl's mother, evaded his arrest for nearly a month before he was arrested.

On June 2, the Lucknow Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a chargesheet in the court against former Prajapati in this matter.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)