Synopsis
Congress blamed BJP’s governments for poor women’s safety, citing several crime cases. After harassment of a Union minister’s daughter, they emphasized holding governments accountable. Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba criticized the ruling party, citing incidents in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Congress pledged to support women and ensure justice, especially with International Women’s Day approaching.
AgenciesIn the wake of harassment of a Union minister’s daughter, the Congress on Tuesday claimed that the BJP’s double engine governments in the country are proving to be a curse for daughters and asserted that it will hold such dispensations accountable on women’s safety. Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba cited figures of crimes against women from states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan to attack the government.
“The BJP’s ‘double engine’ governments in the country are proving to be a curse for daughters. A case of harassment of Union minister’s daughter and her friends has come to light in Maharashtra. After the FIR, it was revealed that the molester was a former BJP councilor — Piyush More. His pictures are there with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and other top BJP leaders,” she said at a press conference here.
If the Union Minister herself does not get justice, then she should resign from her post and fight the battle of her daughter along with many such daughters, Lamba said.
Her remarks came a day after Jalgaon police arrested two more men and detained a minor boy in connection with the harassment of the Union minister’s daughter and some of her friends.
One person, Kiran Mali, was nabbed earlier, while the Jalgaon police arrested two more others – Aniket Bhoyi and Anuj Patil – and also apprehended a minor boy on Monday, the official from Muktainagar police station said.
Seven persons have been named in the FIR, registered on the complaint of the minister at Muktainagar police station in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district in connection with the incident that occurred at Sant Muktai Yatra in Kothali village there on February 28 night.
During the probe, the police found the accused allegedly misbehaved with several girls and even clashed with the bodyguards accompanying them.
Noting that the International Women’s Day will be celebrated on March 8, Lamba asked what about the crimes being committed against daughters in the country.
“A 19-year-old girl was gang raped at knife point in Pune, a video of the incident was made but no action was taken in the case. There have been 17,000 cases of crime against daughters in Gujarat in the last nine years. Every month about 200 daughters reach the police station for justice,” she claimed.
She also listed recent crimes against women in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Whether anyone stands up for these daughters or not… but the Congress Party and the Mahila Congress will definitely stand by them strongly,” Lamba asserted.
In the last six months, 20,000 cases of women harassment have been registered in Rajasthan, she claimed.
“If people sitting on responsible positions are not able to punish the criminals then they should also be relieved from their posts. That is why we have resolved that we will not let the government take the issue of women’s safety lightly. We will hold the governments accountable in this matter,” he said.
