BJP flags issue of women's safety in Rajasthan, calls it 'failed state'

Congress-ruled Rajasthan has become a ”completely failed state” with at least 17-18 rape cases being registered every day, the BJP claimed on Friday and asked Rahul Gandhi when he will visit the state to see the ”total collapse” of law and order.

Raising the issue of women’s safety in Rajasthan, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also listed alleged incidents of atrocities against Dalits and hit out at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge — a leader from the community — for not taking cognisance of such cases.

”As per media reports, every day 17 to 18 cases of rape and 5 to 7 cases of murder are registered in Rajasthan … Extortion of business is happening every day. Rajasthan is (in) number one position when it comes to crimes against women, crimes against children and atrocities on Dalits,” Shekhawat said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

Rajasthan is also in the number one position in corruption and the state’s economy is in a ”miserable” condition, he alleged.

Shekhawat charged, ”Rajasthan has failed on every front. Law and order in Rajasthan has completely collapsed. While women are living in fear in the state, the criminals have no fear of police. And the government is keeping its eyes closed.” Given the prevailing situation, Rajasthan qualifies the definition of a ”failed and fragile” state, the Union minister said, adding that people there will give a befitting reply to the Congress when the time comes.

The BJP’s reaction comes amid attacks from the opposition on the situation in Manipur after a May 4 video showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side surfaced on Wednesday.

Slamming the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government, the BJP’s Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh said there is ”jungle raj” in the state today with the ”total collapse” of order.

”In Karauli, a Dalit woman was abducted, raped, shot at and acid poured on her before her body was thrown into a well. This kind of heart-wrenching incidents of rape is happening every day.

”Perpetrators of the crime are threatening the victims and their families. There was a case of gangrape five kilometres away from the chief minister’s residence,” Singh, a BJP general secretary, said.

But Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is busy in ”proving lies as truth”, he charged.

Singh referred to some other cases of crimes against women in Rajasthan and slammed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for not paying a visit to the victims’ families to express their sympathies.

”Rahul ji, when will you visit Dausa, Alwar and Karauli in Rajasthan?” Singh asked.