The Congress on Monday alleged that crimes against women were on the rise in BJP-ruled states and said they will give a befitting reply to the party in the forthcoming elections.
Expressing concern over recent incidents in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged that they reflected the ruling party's mindset and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer when such violence would end under his rule.
She alleged that in Bihar, 34 school girls were attacked by two dozen boys, when they resisted eve teasing in a Supaul school, leading to serious injuries to the girls.
Terming it as a serious case of mob-violence and backlash, the opposition party demanded a judicial probe.
Chaturvedi raised the incident in Muzaffarpur where 42 girls were sexually assaulted at a shelter home and said this exposed the hollow claims of the Nitish Kumar-led JDU-BJP Government.
"NDA Government in Bihar has given a 'free license to oppress' women. High time there is a judicial investigation in the entire incident and the culprits are brought to book," she told reporters.
"The issue of 'beti bachao' is now becoming 'beti bachao from BJP' (Save daughters from BJP)," she alleged.
She cited incidents of Unnao in UP to Kathua in J-K to the recent horrific rape of a 14-month-girl in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat.
"Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi fasts for nine days of Navratra, we want to ask nine questions to him, on women security....
"Women of India will give a befitting reply to PM Modi and the BJP in the forthcoming elections," she told reporters.
Chaturvedi claimed that a girl is only entitled to just 5 paisa as budgetary allocation under Modi Government's "much hyped" Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme and wanted to know from the PM whether it was true that only Rs 825 crore have been used by government out of the Rs 3,600 crore Nirbhaya Fund' in the last 4 years.
"'Modi government promised One Stop Centres' for rape survivors in every district. Later this was reduced to just 36. Not even a single proper One Stop Centre' has been set up in the last four and a half years," she claimed.
"Is it not true that Crime Against Women' is at its highest amongst BJP ruled states? Is it not a fact that BJP MPs and MLAs have serious cases of violence against women registered against them," she asked.
"The commitment to security for women has been breached," she said.
She questioned the "silence" of prime minister on incidents of crime against women and alleged, "PM brazenly used Nirbhaya incident to campaign in 2014 election while his silence on Kathua, Unnao, Mandsaur and Naliya has exposed his politics of opportunism".
"In the PM's own constituency girl students in the women's hostel of Banaras Hindu University were beaten by male police officers and the PM remained silent. Why is PM Modi silent on all these crimes against women?."
She also alleged that the Ujjwala Scheme failed on the ground as the poor did not have money for refilling the cylinders.
"Despite an absolute majority in Lok Sabha and an assurance of support from Indian National Congress, the Women Reservation Bill has been locked away. Why has PM Modi got cold feet on the National Women's Policy 2016. Has it been stalled because it recommended the Women's Reservation Bill?" she asked.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
