Amid mounting pressure from political parties, Congress minister Babulal Nagar resigned on Thursday over allegations of sexual assault levelled against him.
A woman had accused Nagar, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, of rape in front of a trial court on 13 September. She alleged that Nagar had called her to his government bungalow, in Civil Lines area of Jaipur, on the pretext of giving her a job, on 11 September and sexually assaulted her.
The court had ordered the Jaipur police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the minister and launch a probe in the matter.
"Baseless allegations are being leveled against me, I want a fair investigation, so I am resigning," Babulal told ANI news.
Commenting on the allegations, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said that no minister is above the law. "I have always maintained that law will take its own course like in the Asaram case. No one should interfere with the law," he said.
With the assembly elections to be held later this year, the issue will serve as fodder for Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attack against Congress before the polls.
"In our state, ministers of the government resort to heinous acts of harassment against women. Such a government does not deserve to be in power," tweeted Vasundhara Raje, BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls.
Meanwhile Nagar has maintained that the allegations of sexual assault are a political gimmick to damage the party's reputation during the election year.
"These allegations are baseless and that woman is known for doing such things. She had earlier taken money from several prominent people and asked for jobs," said Nagar.
Click here to see Rajasthan Minister Babulal Nagar's interview about the rape allegations.
