Bhubaneswar, Jun 23 (PTI) A fact-finding team of AICC on Tuesday alleged that women are not safe in Odisha, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s home district Keonjhar.
Several incidents of crime against women have been reported in the state in recent times.
The five-member all-women team of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) led by general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi visited four districts of Odisha where rape, gang rape and murder of women were reported recently.
They visited Kandhamal, Ganjam, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in the past four days. After holding discussions with different stakeholders, including families of the victims, villagers and local police, the team members on Tuesday expressed shock over the rising crime against women in the state.
Briefing media persons at a press conference here, the team member and MP Praniti Shinde said, "After meeting the families of each victim, I can only say that women are not safe in the culturally rich state of Odisha. A girl belonging to a poor family was killed when the state was celebrating a women's festival.
"Only three words came to my mind to describe Odisha. Those are lawlessness, corruption and rape. Except for these three things, nothing more is happening in the state," she alleged.
There is an absolute collapse of the administrative system and society because there is no fear of the law in Odisha, Shinde alleged, "Rape or murder is reported in every fifth family in the state.
It is more unfortunate that the chief minister does not have time to listen to the women, the Congress MP said.
CM Mohan Charan Majhi did not give an appointment to the committee for a formal discussion, she said.
She further said it is very sad that the government, which is making tall claims about women, has not given time to the fact-finding team, which is also an insult to the victims who were raped and murdered.
It also shows that the CM is not serious about the rape, murder and atrocities on women, she added.
"We got some shocking facts during the visit and will inform our leadership. We wanted to share those facts with the chief minister, but he does not have time for the women," Shinde said.
Deepa Dasmunshi, Convenor of the Congress panel, alleged that atrocities against women have increased in Odisha during the past year after the BJP formed government in the state.
"Human trafficking, missing of women and children, rapes and gang rapes, and other women-related crimes have increased in the state. The chief minister did not want to listen to these issues," Dasmunishi said.
Dasmunshi also said the Congress government in the state was toppled after one rape case. "But now hundreds of such incidents are being reported in Odisha," the Congress leader said.
She was referring to the infamous Barang rape case in 1999.
Ranjeet Ranjan, Rajya Sabha MP, alleged, "A girl or woman subjected to assault every 5 km in Odisha. The rape incidents are increasing because the rapists are roaming freely without conviction and un-holy nexus among the government, police administration and rape accused persons.
The Congress party would take up the issue with the President of India and Parliament, another member of the panel, Shobha Oza, said.
Responding to the allegations, BJP state vice-president Biranchi Narayan Tripathi claimed the Congress party is sinking in Odisha as its vote share is decreasing day-by-day, held the press conference today to stay in the news.
After 25 years, the Congress today admitted its involvement in the infamous rape when the party was in power, he said.
Therefore, Congress has no moral right to raise the issue of women's safety, Tripathi said.
Terming the Gopalpur gang rape incident very sad, Tripathy said the government took the case seriously and handed it over to the crime branch for proper investigation. All the accused were arrested within 24 hours, he added.
The BJP leader also said the police department is taking all steps to ensure harsh punishment for the accused.