Impose president's rule, make Odisha safe for women: BJP

Citing government figures, party state unit vice president Ashok Sahu said Odisha had registered 1,112 rape cases in 2011, higher than the 1,025 cases reported in 2010. During 2012, rape incidents have reportedly increased to more than 1,300 cases.

"Almost every day, a number of cases of rape, outrage and atrocities on women are reported in the state, including in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar," Sahu told reporters here.

"The low rate of conviction and the apathy of the police towards victims has caused an increase in rape cases," he alleged.

Sahu said that in many cases, influential persons of the ruling party were found to be shielding rape accused.

Claiming that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was not doing enough to make the state safe for women, Sahu said that the BJP demands the chief minister's resignation and the immediate imposition of president's rule in the state.

--Ido-Asian News Service

jd/ros/dg