Rape charge: Cong seeks immediate sacking of Union Minister Gohain

New Delhi: The Congress today demanded the immediate sacking of Union Minister Rajen Gohain after a rape case was registered against him in Assam.

The Assam Police have registered a case against Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain for allegedly raping and threatening a 24-year old married woman in Nagaon district, a senior police officer said.

Gohain has also filed complaints of blackmailing against the woman and her family, his officer on special duty Sanjiv Goswami said when contacted. He claimed that the case against the minister has been withdrawn.

Congress leader Pawan Khera asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately sack Gohain from the union council of ministers.

"We demand from this government, from Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to take immediate and strict action against rape accused Minister Rajen Gohain, the Minister of State for Railways," the Congress spokesperson said.

Khera also reminded the prime minister of the promise he had made before 2014 parliamentary elections about his commitment towards ensuring women safety in the country.

"Remove him from office. You cannot allow him to be in a position of power and influence the investigation. Please remove him if you meant anything that you promised before 2014," he told reporters.

He also questioned the prime minister's "silence" on Unnao and Kathua rapes and in the alleged rapes in shelter homes in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and UP's Deoria.

"In the recent past, we saw you were standing with rapists of Kathua, with rapists of Unnao, and very recently, we saw you (Modi) absolutely quiet on Muzaffarpur rapes. Your own government is there in alliance with Nitish Kumar Ji.

"Last week, we saw horrifying reports from Deoria, from Pratapgarh, but again you (Modi) remained quiet. Now, the people have lost faith in all those promises, in all those slogans that you used to promise before coming to power in 2014," he said.

Khera accused the prime minister of "failing" the women of the country and questioned his silence on the rape charge against the union minister.

"Again there is a rape FIR against the Cabinet colleague of yours - MoS for Railways Rajen Gohain. If you do not act now, you will loose the moral authority to stay in office even for a day. Please take action," he said.