A day after the Unnao rape survivor and her mother were forcibly removed from a protest at Delhi’s India Gate, Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar on Wednesday played down the episode, prompting sharp criticism.
The survivor and her mother had been staging a protest against the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the sentence of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP MLA convicted in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
‘But Her Home Is in Unnao…’: Rajbhar’s Comment
When asked by reporters about the survivor being evicted from the protest site, Rajbhar responded, “but her home is in Unnao…”, before breaking into laughter.
He later told news agency ANI, “The court has said that Kuldeep Singh Sengar must stay at least 5 km away from the victim’s family. While protesting in Delhi, the police told the family that if the court has made this arrangement, then how can they be unsafe?”
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: On Delhi High Court granting conditional bail to Unnao Rape Case convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar says, “The court has said that Kuldeep Singh Sengar must stay at least 5 km away from the victim’s family. While protesting in… pic.twitter.com/yMlCp9LPbX
— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2025
The remarks drew widespread condemnation from opposition leaders and civil society groups.
Survivor Recounts Trauma at Protest Site
Speaking to India Today TV on Tuesday evening, the survivor described the ordeal she faced during the protest.
“I wanted to kill myself then and there, but I stopped after thinking about my family,” she said, recalling the moment she and her mother were dragged away from India Gate.
Rahul Gandhi Meets Survivor, Slams Treatment
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the Unnao rape survivor on Wednesday following reports of her alleged mistreatment during the protest, according to PTI.
Gandhi met her at his mother Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath, after the survivor protested against the bail granted to Sengar by the Delhi High Court.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the survivor deserved dignity and justice, not intimidation.
“Is such treatment of a gang rape survivor appropriate? Is it her ‘fault’ that she has the courage to raise her voice for justice?” Gandhi wrote in a post in Hindi on X.
‘Dead Economy, Dead Society’: Gandhi
Expressing disappointment over the court’s decision, Gandhi added, “The fact that her perpetrator (former BJP MLA Sengar) has been granted bail is extremely disappointing and shameful, especially when the survivor is being repeatedly harassed and is living under the shadow of fear.”
“Bail for rapists and treating survivors like criminals, what kind of justice is this? We are not just becoming a dead economy… with such inhuman incidents, we are also turning into a dead society,” he said.