Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of Congress has alleged that the BJP government in State and the Centre are silent on the crimes against women in Odisha.
Claiming that 54 incidents of gang-rape have taken place in the last eight months with the ‘double-engine government remaining silent,” Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said the central government should pay attention to the situation in Odisha.
“If it is unable to do so, the Supreme Court should order the state government to change its attitude,” he demanded.
Das said that for the last 24 years, the Biju Janata Dal government was in power in Odisha. Meanwhile, from 2000 to 2009, the BJP and BJD together ruled Odisha.
“The BJP government has been in power for the last eight months. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi himself has stated that 3,420 women and 8,403 children are missing,” he said and added that there have been 54 incidents of gang-rape in the last eight months.
“Incidents of rape and murder of minor girls are continuously increasing in Odisha. All this is happening, but the BJP’s ‘double-engine’ government is silent,” he claimed.
The Government of India should pay attention to the increasing crimes against women in Odisha, because if measures are not taken to stop the crime, they will keep increasing, he said.
“If the government is not able to pay attention to them, then the Supreme Court should consider it. A sitting judge should order the government to change its attitude and understand responsibility,” he said.
“The rate of crime against women in Odisha was 9.3 per cent in 2022, but now 31,000 cases have been registered, which shows an increase of eight per cent. Mostly tribal and Dalit women are affected in this,” Das said.
He said that until these women get justice, the Odisha Pradesh Congress will continue to raise its voice against this “injustice”.
