UP polls 2017: Smriti Irani said women of Uttar Pradesh have "never felt safe" under Samajwadi Party.
Women of Uttar Pradesh have "never felt safe" under the Samajwadi Party, Union Minister Smriti Irani said today, adding that the party is a "protector of rapists". Ms Irani's comments came over a rape case filed against one of the ministers in the Akhilesh Yadav government - Gayatri Prajapati.
"It is a disgrace that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had in his cabinet a person like Gayatri Prajapati who has been accused of rape. That the court had to intervene and order that an FIR be lodged against the minister proves that SP is a protector of rapists. No wonder under its rule, women of UP have never felt safe", Ms Irani said while addressing a series of election meetings in Allahabad.
An FIR has been filed against Mr Prajapati in connection with cases of alleged gang-rape and attempt to rape a woman and her minor daughter.
The Supreme Court had yesterday directed the police to file the case against the minister. Mr Prajapati is a senior leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party.
Ms Irani, who holds the Textile portfolio, said "the five-year rule of SP will be remembered only for the high incidence of crimes against women, land grabbing and a free rein to marauding gangsters."
She also lambasted the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance and claimed voters will teach a lesson to their "opportunistic alliance".
"That the Congress has been discredited across the country is evident from its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls followed by its losing state after state in assembly polls. Congress, SP and BSP therefore stand no chance of coming back to power in UP, whether they fight separately or in coalition", she said.
She claimed that the people of state are fed up with both SP and BSP which have alternately ruled the state for more than a decade.
"The party, once its comes to power in UP, will root out corruption, take lawbreakers to task and help the state realise its full potential. The people will definitely vote for us and teach a lesson to the opportunistic alliance of SP and Congress", she said.
The third phase of the crucial seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will take place on Sunday. Over 826 candidates from 105 political parties, including 6 national parties, 7 state parties, 92 unrecognised parties and 225 independent candidates are contesting for the 69 assembly seats of the 12 districts in the third phase.
(with inputs from PTI)