Stop politicising rapes, demands Digvijaya Singh

Kolkata, April 21 (IANS) Expressing displeasure with parties like the BJP "politicising" the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Delhi, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh Sunday called for the growing incidence of child sexual abuse to be looked in "totality" with the help of social activists, law makers and enforcers.

"I think we strongly condemn all such incidents. Unfortunately political parties are politicising this dastardly act," he told reporters here.

The girl had been abducted, sexually assaulted and tortured in captivity by her 22-year-old neighbour in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar area.

The victim was shifted to the premier hospital AIIMS Friday evening. She was warded since Wednesday morning at the city's Swami Dyanand hospital after her family rescued her.

In mid-December, Delhi woke up to the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus. The woman later died in a Singapore hospital.

"If you remember that immediately after the Delhi gang-rape, government of India had given this task to Justice Verma to suggest changes in the law and you must compliment government of India also for the quick response to the recommendations of the Justice Verma committee," Singh said.

Accusing Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj of "playing to the galleries", Singh stressed that rising incidences of rape and child sexual abuse must be "taken seriously".

"In fact, there has been 300 percent increase in the child sexual abuse in this country in the last one-two years.

"This is a matter of concern for everyone. So, therefore, the lawmakers, the law-enforcers, the social scientists, and the civil society will have to get together, apply their mind and study as to what are the reasons which are leading to this kind of an increase," he said.

Pointing out that the policemen-to-population ratio in India that was "one of the lowest in the world", Singh said: "Population has grown, but the number of policemen has not grown.It has to be seen in totality, rather than doing politics on such an issue."