Raipur, Apr 21 (PTI) The opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh on Monday staged a protest here against the alleged surge in incidents of crime against women and girls, and claimed law and order has collapsed in the BJP-ruled state.
Congress workers' bid to 'gherao' (lay siege to) Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's official residence in the Civil Lines area in Raipur was foiled by a heavy police contingent deployed near OCM Chowk where barricades were put up.
Several senior leaders, including state party chief Deepak Baij, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant, AICC secretary and party's joint in-charge Szarita Laitphlang and MLAs, were prevented by police personnel from moving towards the CM residence.
Hitting out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Baij alleged law and order has collapsed in the entire state and incidents of rape, loot and murder have become frequent.
"This fight against the BJP is for the welfare of Chhattisgarh and rights of its people. Crime against women is on the rise in the state, which has become a den of crime. In Durg, a 6-year-old girl was raped and murdered, a 7-year-old girl is missing in Lormi (Mungeli district), a 9th class student was raped in Marwahi, a 12-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Bemetara. We have to save our mothers and sisters," he said.
The Chhattisgarh Congress president was addressing party workers before their planned 'gherao' of the CM house.
Earlier, the Congress staged gherao of the state assembly complex and held protests at block and district levels.
The opposition party alleged figures of rape, loot, robbery and kidnapping registered in Chhattisgarh were shocking, but the BJP government remains in deep slumber.
The situation in Chhattisgarh has become like that prevailing in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as the BJP has failed to check rising crimes against women, Baij claimed.
"We will not sit quietly for the next three years (till the next assembly elections). We will have to raise our voice against injustice of the government. We lost assembly, Lok Sabha, municipal corporation elections (in Chhattisgarh), but we are not going to stop, we will move forward with full strength. We are ready to face bullets, but we will stand firm against every challenge," he asserted.
Citing the incidents of rapes, AICC secretary Laitphlang alleged sexual assault is happening every three hours in Chhattisgarh.
"The state capital has become a crime hub. Women are being tortured in every area. Girls are being trafficked. A girl is missing in the Deputy Chief Minister's area (constituency). Women are not safe under the BJP rule," she alleged.
Police had deployed a large number of security personnel in the state capital and barricaded roads leading to the CM house at several places in view of the Congress protest.