Congress gave tickets to family members of rape convicts: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress party of giving tickets to the family members of those leaders who are allegedly rape convicts, saying that India's grand old party had no respect for women and "all women voters must take a pledge to not vote for the Congress party" in the ensuing Assembly polls.

"The Congress party has no respect for women. The women of Rajasthan must take a pledge not to let the Congress party even enter this state," said Prime Minister Modi, while addressing an election rally here on Tuesday. "It is the BJP-led Central government that has made the law for capital punishment to rapists," he added.

"When Ashok Gehlot was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, many of his ministers were accused of rape. Many Congress leaders are now in jail in rape cases. The Congress party has given tickets to their family members to contest the Assembly polls," added Prime Minister Modi.

He said that the "gender ratio" has improved drastically in the districts of Sikar and Jhunjhunu for which the women have contributed whole-heartedly. "Nearly 15 years back, the girls were killed in the womb of their mothers. Against 1,000 males, there were only 850 females in the state as 150 were girls were murdered in the womb of their mothers," he said.

Lauding the efforts of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in promoting women's empowerment, Prime Minister Modi said, "Things have drastically improved on the front of female foeticide. Now 960 girls are born against 1,000 boys. Days are not far off when the birth rate of both boys and girls will be in proportion to ache other."

The assembly elections in Rajasthan are due on 7 December while the counting of votes will take place on December 11.