New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of maintaining silence over serious allegations of sexual assault by its sitting MLA from Jharkhand against a minor tribal girl, questioning the party's commitment to women's safety.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have remained silent despite the serious allegations against MLA Bhushan Bara.
"It is deeply shameful that serious allegations have emerged against Congress's sitting MLA Bhushan Bara from Jharkhand, accusing him of raping a 14-year-old tribal girl," Swaraj said.
She said an FIR had been registered under the POCSO Act and described the allegations as "deeply disturbing and shocking to the conscience".
"The allegations suggest that the MLA lured the innocent girl with promises of education and a better life. On the pretext of these false promises, he brought the 14-year-old minor to his place, made her do household chores, allegedly assaulted her and subsequently sexually exploited her. This extremely serious news has reached us through media reports," she said.
Targeting the opposition party over its use of the slogan 'Smash the patriarchy', Swaraj said its senior leadership has "chosen to remain silent" on the issue.
"I am surprised that the Congress, which raises hollow slogans such as 'Smash the patriarchy', and its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have once again maintained silence," she said.
"Have you asked your MLA even a single question? Have you held him accountable? No, you have not," she claimed.
Jharkhand Congress MLA Bhushan Bara was booked on Friday after a girl, who worked as a domestic help at his official residence, accused him of rape, police said.
The girl, a resident of Simdega district, lodged a complaint at the Dhurwa police station, alleging that Bara had raped her at his residence on August 5, following which she became pregnant.
Bara, a two-term MLA, denied the allegations, calling them "completely false and misleading". He claimed the case was fabricated by people expelled from the Congress.
Swaraj also cited allegations against Congress MP Bimal Akoijam, claiming that 11 female students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University levelled sexual harassment allegations against him. She alleged that despite the seriousness of the complaints, the Congress has "rewarded him" by appointing him co-chairperson of its manifesto committee ahead of the Manipur Assembly elections.
"Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Manipur, it is astonishing that Bimal Akoijam, a sitting Congress MP who faces serious allegations of sexual harassment, has been appointed co-chairperson of the party's election committee, campaign committee and manifesto committee," she said.
"Congress party's ethical principles are not guided by morality but by slogans and political convenience," she added.
Elections in Manipur are likely to take place early next year.
Swaraj also referred to allegations against Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, claiming that a woman from Assam levelled serious allegations against him and sought a DNA test. She said the matter had been handed over to a woman police officer.
Citing these cases, she alleged that the Congress had adopted double standards on women's safety.
"Whether it is the alleged rape of a tribal girl, Bimal Akoijam's appointment as co-chairperson of the manifesto committee or Harak Singh Rawat's appointment as chairman of the election campaign committee in Uttarakhand, the one thing common to all these cases is the deafening silence of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi," she said.
Questioning Priyanka Gandhi's slogan 'Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon', Swaraj said, "When the matter concerns leaders from your own party, do you stand up for women's dignity with the same determination or not?"
She also referred to a recent incident involving a former NSUI office-bearer, alleging that he lured young women with promises of concert tickets and gifts and attempted to take them to Ahmedabad for illegal activities. The student organisation, however, has claimed that he was suspended before the alleged acts and has no connection with the NSUI.
Swaraj claimed, "Rahul Gandhi holds large-scale programmes such as 'Chhatraon Ki Goonj', but when allegations emerge against an office-bearer of the Congress's student wing, he has nothing to say."
"Every time there is a deafening silence from the Congress party, it shows that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the Congress party are absolutely comfortable with the objectification of women. They are equally comfortable with the victimisation of women," she said.
"And clearly, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape, these kind of serious allegations is something that they completely find very benign, and they underestimate what a survivor or victim has to go through," she further alleged.
The New Delhi MP said instead of becoming the voice of the voiceless, the Congress party goes ahead and “rewards” its own leaders.
Raising questions about the political character of the Congress, she warned that women voters would hold the party accountable in upcoming elections.
"Women voters will seek accountability from you and hold the Congress party responsible for each of its anti-women positions," the BJP MP added.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)