Gang deny brutal rape, killing of girl

Two state ministers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party have resigned after attending a rally in defense of the accused.

The ruling party has also been accused of trying to shield one of its state lawmakers in Uttar Pradesh after a 17-year-old girl accused the politician of raping her last year.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar was only arrested last week, despite the girl's family trying to file charges against him for nearly a year.

The two cases have stirred memories of the mass demonstrations that followed the gang rape and murder of a student in New Delhi in 2012.

Agence France-presse