The government admits that 28,000 incidents of crime against women and children were reported during the last 11 months
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party’s double-engine government in the eastern state of Odisha has become entirely unsafe for women, the Congress party has said.
According to the government’s admission an average of 15 rapes take place every day in the state, the country’s main opposition party said.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here on Thursday, All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba, Odisha Mahila Congress President Meenakshi Bahinipati and MLA Sofia Firdaus expressed grave concern over the women’s security in the state.
The leaders disclosed that the Odisha government had itself admitted that 28,000 incidents of crime against women and children were reported during the last 11 months. Ms Lamba cited the state’s Women and Child Development Minister Pravati Parida’s statement in this regard.
Referring to some major incidents, she said that a rape accused was released on bail, he then killed the victim and threw her body parts on the road. She also mentioned the heinous incident of rape and murder of a minor girl in Balasore.
Sofia Firdous, legislator from Barabati-Cuttack constituency of the state, said women’s empowerment has been the identity of Odisha. The state celebrates the Raja festival, honouring womanhood and fertility. But unfortunately, during this festival, three incidents of gang rape took place in the state within just three days. She pointed out that a gang rape took place at a major tourist place like Gopalpur, a young child was raped and killed in the chief minister’s home district of Keonjhar and a woman was gang-raped by four men in a hotel.
Raising concerns over the delay in delivering justice to the victims, the Congress leaders said that the criminals were having a free run in Odisha and they had no fear of the law.
