Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making women's security a poll issue in UP while ignoring it in BJP-ruled states, and demanded a High Court-monitored judicial probe into the Naliya sex scandal in Gujarat.
The opposition party targeted the Prime Minister for making big speeches on women's safety and law and order in Uttar Pradesh while ignoring incidents in states ruled by BJP including his home state of Gujarat.
Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza said, "The party which raised the slogan 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' has senior leaders who have abused women. They can't or don't see the prevalence of gender violence in BJP-ruled states. For them slogans are more important than action. Why don't they raise the issues of gender abuse in BJP-ruled states?"
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Oza cited the case of a Naliya girl who was gangraped by her employer who was a member of BJP and had alleged that she was drugged and raped by BJP leaders.
She said, "Congress party has been demanding a judicial probe through a sitting judge of the High Court to catch the culprits".
She said the party is not satisfied with the SIT probe into it as it is a ploy to save BJP leaders.
"This is a sex scandal, where girls were abused for the pleasure of senior leaders and ministers. Whose names are coming up in connection to this horrendous event. BJP, RSS, VHP leaders and members.
"The terrible incident in Kutch is one example. Many women were raped and pushed to prostitution. The situation is so bad and cases are constantly coming up," she said.
The Mahila Congress later also staged a dharna outside the BJP headquarters against BJP leaders accused of raping women in Gujarat and of running an alleged sex racket.
She added that the onus of good governance lies with the Prime Minister to protect women. She cited NCRB data that reveals BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have a high incidence of violence against women.
Oza said the Prime Minister said that UP has the highest incidence of violence against women. "Evidently he hasn't seen the data, which shows the high incidence of crimes against women in MP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra," she said
Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said, "If Prime Minister Modi believed in fighting for women's issues their heads should hang in shame about what happened in BJP states. Prime Minister Modi has one standard for BJP-ruled states and another for non-BJP states. He has made gender violence merely an election issue".
She said Gujarat model is the "darkest model" for women in India and Modi's sloganeering needs to stop and he needs to fulfil his promises on helping women in India and safeguard their rights.
Dev also said that Modi travelled across the nation and
spoke on the security of women. "But, when a woman was raped in a cab, PM Modi said 'Can't we remain silent. Why are we politicising this'. Prime Minister made women security an electoral issue. For BJP there are two standards," she said.
Oza said while UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has agreed for a probe by any independent agency, she asked why Modi not ready for investigation of such incidents that took place in Gujarat, Assam and other BJP-ruled states.
Dev said, "It is a shame that Prime Minister of India has chosen to make the dignity of women only an election issue".
"If you have the courage, please have a sitting judge of the High Court to overlook this scandal which we feel is deep-rooted which spreads from Gandhinagar to Delhi," she asked the PM.
She said the PM makes big speeches about women safety and law and order in his election rallies, but is not ready for an investigation of such incidents in Gujarat, Assam and other BJP-ruled states.
"Modi government has completed half its term but women's security situation in Gujarat, the home state of PM Shri Modi, has become so unfortunate that women there need to be saved from the BJP leaders themselves," she said.
"Why has the Prime Minister and BJP, who had given the slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', maintained a stoic silence on the issue of 'Naliya Sex Scandal' of Kutch? The slogan of 'Beti Bachao' is simply a hollow one and BJP and RSS leaders have become exploiters of women in the country. The sex scandal of Naliya has unmasked the real 'Chaal, Charitra and Chehra' of BJP," she said.
Congress women leaders including party Rajya Sabha MP Rajni Patil and national media panelist Amee Ben Yagnik alleged that such incidents are not limited to BJP and RSS workers but it is linked to other top leaders too, which include leaders of Gujarat and also other BJP-ruled states.
They said they are trying to threaten, blackmail and even lure the victim's family as well as malign the victim's character.
"The past record of Gujarat government have time and again proved that SIT investigation is a mere lip service to save the real culprits. In this context, it is appropriate to ask as to why this shameful incident (Naliya) is not being investigated by a sitting judge under the supervision of High Court?" they asked.
