BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar has been in prison for more than a year over the alleged rape.
With the Opposition clamour growing over rape accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's expulsion from the Bharatiya Janata Party after a complaint was registered against him in connection with an accident that claimed two lives and injured two others - including the rape survivor - the ruling party on Tuesday said it had suspended the lawmaker long ago.
"Kuldeep Sengar was suspended by the party earlier and there is no change in his status," Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh told news agency Press Trust of India.
"There is no change in the position of the party and the government, which is standing with the victim of the Unnao (rape) case," he said, adding that all possible help was also being extended to the accident victims undergoing treatment in a hospital in Lucknow.
The demand for Kuldeep Sengar's expulsion from the BJP was led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who, in a tweet this morning, said, "For Gods sake, Mr. Prime Minister, divest this criminal and his brother of the political power your party is giving them."
Yesterday, Priyanka Gandhi, who is the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, had said, "What is the BJP waiting for? Why has this man not been expelled from their party even when his name is in the latest FIR in the Unnao Rape Case?"
Members of the Congress party came out against the BJP in Lucknow staging a dharna and demanding Kuldeep Sengar's expulsion from the ruling party.
The Congress workers were detained as they started marching towards the BJP office.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati had also accused the BJP of complicity in a tweet, saying, "The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP...The Supreme Court needs to take cognisance of it."
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav visited the hospital to meet the rape survivor and her family.
BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar, who is presently in jail, and nine others were charged for murder on Monday, a day after the car in which the 19-year-old rape survivor, her family and lawyer were travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli, killing two of her family members and leaving her and the advocate critically injured.
The Unnao rape survivor's family filed a complaint alleging "conspiracy" behind Sunday's car crash.