Mahila BJP kick-starts women safety march
SAMBALPUR: The women wing of the BJP launched ‘Mahila Suraksha Yatra’ from Samaleswari temple here on Thursday. The campaign of BJP Mahila Morcha aims to highlight the growing incidents of crime against women in the State.The 11-day-long Yatra will travel through Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sundargarh and sensitise women on several important issues such as their rights, safety and security. The campaign will conclude on May 29 at Bonai in Sundargarh district.
The Yatra, led by Brajrajnagar BJP MLA Radharani Panda, moved around the city and culminated at Nari Seva Sadan where a meeting was held. Addressing the gathering, Panda hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing an ordinance which approves death penalty for child rapists.She said women of the country are not timid and weak but fighters. Women should show strength and fight against the perpetrators of crimes, she said.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Panda said the State Government is indifferent to crime against women. This attitude has led to rise in violence against woman. “The inability of the State Government to act against the accused and low conviction rate is leading to a spurt in crime against girls and women,” the BJP MLA said.
As per the State Government’s white paper, as many as 2,221 rapes, 499 dowry-related deaths, 125 dowry-related suicides and 5,562 dowry cases were registered in Odisha last year. “These figures speak volumes about the safety of women in Odisha,” she said.During the campaign, activists of BJP Mahila Morcha will cover seven routes and hold 450 public meetings to educate women about their rights and safety.
On the day, the Yatra was also simultaneously launched from Sikharchandi temple in Bhubaneswar, Chandi temple in Cuttack, Bhadrakali temple in Bhadrak, Maa Mangala temple in Puri’s Kakatpur, Kandhuni temple in Ganjam’s Surada and Patneswari temple in Patnagarh.