Ayodhya Rape Case: In A Bid To Defend Moeed Khan, Samajwadi Party Demands DNA Test Of Accused Leader

After trying to defend the accused Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Moeed Khan in the rape case of an Ayodhya minor girl, the party has finally formed a high-level committee to probe into the matter.

Khan is an aide of SP Member of Parliament (MP) from Faizabad (Ayodhya is a part of it), Awadhesh Prasad. However, the party has not taken any action against Khan and has instead demanded a DNA test.

SP national president and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "In the rape case, justice should be done by doing DNA tests of those who are accused, and not by merely making allegations and doing politics."

"Whoever is guilty should be given full punishment according to the law, but if the allegations are proved false after the DNA test, then the government officials involved should also not be spared," he said on X.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati questioned SP's demand for a DNA test and said, "SP should tell how many such DNA tests were conducted when it was in power?"

DNA test demand was reiterated by Faizabad MP Prasad, who accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of doing politics in the matter. He also criticised the BJP for demolishing the bakery of the accused.

Ayodhya's Additional District Magistrate (ADM) defended the move by saying that the accused had encroached the public pond and had made an illegal bakery and a boundary.

"Notice has already been served regarding a multi-complex, we aren't demolishing it today as a bank operates in it. We have informed the bank manager and when they vacate or even not, demolition will be done," he added.

Distancing himself from the accused Khan, Faizabad MP Prasad said, "As far as the photo (with the accused) is concerned. Many people click pictures with me, take selfies... BJP should not do this kind of politics..."

Another SP leader Shivpal Yadav said, "Our spokesperson Pawan Pandey has said that a narco test should be done. I would say that all the people of the BJP who are doing politics should undergo a narco test."

Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of conspiring to defame SP and Muslims. He said that his demand for a DNA test stems from a law amended by BJP in 2023, which states that in cases of over 7 years of jail, a DNA test should be done.