Modi minister battles rape charge: Nihalchand refuses to speak or resign

Union Minister of State Nihalchand Meghwal, summoned by a court in Rajasthan in connection with a rape case, has refused to resign from his post. “I will not resign,” he told reporters in Sriganganagar district when his attention was drawn to street protests by Congress workers and women’s organisations demanding his removal from the council of ministers. Replying to further questions on the issue, the 43-year-old Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers said, “No comments.” Calling for his resignation, the Congress yesterday stepped up its attack on Meghwal and the government. “For a free and fair probe to be conducted, Meghwal needs to step down,” Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi told Times Now. Women workers from Congress also protested outside BJP headquarters in Delhi. According to Economic Times, the protesters were led by President of Congress’s Mahila Morcha, Shobha Oza. “This shows BJP’s dual face. When there are rape cases in Uttar Pradesh, they demand President’s rule but when crimes happen in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, they keep quiet,” ET quoted Oza as saying. The BJP stood up for Meghwal. Times Now quoted GVL Narasimha Rao, Member, Electoral Reforms Committee of the BJP, defending Meghwal and said the minister was is co-operating with the probe. [caption id=“attachment_1569707” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Union Minister Nihalchand Meghwal. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Nihalchand and 16 others were named in an FIR lodged by a 24-year-old married woman from Jaipur. In the FIR filed in 2011, she alleged that he had sexually exploited her. Rajasthan Police had, in 2012, closed the case saying the charges were false and fabricated. The woman had then approached a district court which, too, dismissed the charges. Nihalchand and the other accused have now been asked by a Jaipur court to appear before it in connection with the case after a review petition was filed by the complainant. Nihalchand is the only MP from Rajasthan in Modi’s council of ministers. with inputs from PTI