Greater Noida bus gang rape: UP Cong chief slams BJP over minister silence
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Wednesday, 2 September launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh over the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus in Greater Noida, questioning what he described as the ruling party's conspicuous silence on the incident. The case, which police say took place on 4 August near Pari Chowk, has drawn condemnation from opposition leaders across the country.
What Happened: The Incident
According to police, the survivor — a resident of Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh — had left home without informing her family after a dispute with her mother over her studies. She was travelling to Noida Sector 63, where her cousin lives. Amid heavy rain and darkness, she reportedly alighted at the wrong stop — Pari Chowk — and, after realising her error, flagged down a sleeper bus that had no other passengers on board.
The driver, identified as Kuldeep, and the conductor, identified as Sandeep, allegedly sexually assaulted the teenager during the journey and threatened to kill her if she resisted. The accused later abandoned her near Kashmere Gate in Delhi, according to the survivor's statement to police. Both men were arrested from a parking area in Timarpur on the same day the complaint was registered. Police have seized the bus and sent it for forensic examination, and are also analysing CCTV footage from the route to establish the sequence of events.
Congress Attacks BJP Over Silence
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Rai said, 'Today, the BJP is in power from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, yet no minister is ready to speak. All their women ministers are sitting silent.' He went further, alleging a pattern of violence against women and children in the state. 'When such incidents happened during our tenure, the Congress party extended full support to the victim. Today, I believe the BJP government is completely responsible. Girls are being subjected to atrocities in Uttar Pradesh, with rape cases involving children as young as 1.5, 3 and 4 years old… The situation is terrible,' he added.
This is not the first time the opposition has trained its sights on the Yogi Adityanath-led government over law and order, particularly crimes against women. Critics argue that despite repeated assurances of a 'zero tolerance' stance, incidents of sexual violence in Uttar Pradesh continue to draw national attention.
Rahul Gandhi Condemns the Attack
A day earlier, on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also condemned the incident, posting on social media platform X: 'Delhi NCR has become so unsafe for women that a minor girl was gang-raped for 47 kilometres in a sleeper bus — from Greater Noida to Delhi. It's astonishing that neither the entire Delhi police nor the Noida police had the slightest inkling of it.' Gandhi questioned whether anyone would be held accountable for the failure of both Delhi Police and Noida Police to detect the crime in progress.
Investigation Under Way
Investigators have collected forensic samples from the bus and are cross-referencing CCTV footage from multiple points along the route taken by the vehicle. Police confirmed that both accused — Kuldeep (driver) and Sandeep (conductor) — have been taken into custody and that the case has been registered. The survivor is currently receiving support, according to officials. The broader question of why neither the Noida Police nor the Delhi Police detected the crime as it unfolded over a 47-kilometre stretch remains unanswered.
What Comes Next
With opposition pressure mounting and the case drawing national coverage, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is likely to face questions in the upcoming assembly session. Rights groups have called for a review of safety protocols on inter-city buses operating in the Delhi-NCR corridor. The forensic report and CCTV analysis are expected to be critical to the prosecution's case against the two accused.