NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Friday condemned the alleged sexual assault on the fiancée of an army officer at a police station in Odisha, where the woman had gone for help. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that the “horrific” incident has raised serious questions about the law and order situation in the country.
Gandhi posted on social media, “An army officer went to the police for help, only to be brutally beaten, while his fiancée was tortured in custody. This heinous incident is a shame on all of humanity.”
“Under the BJP government, crimes against women have become completely uncontrolled and unbridled. When injustice thrives and finds shelter within the government system itself, then from whom should the common citizen look for help? All the culprits of this incident deserve the strictest legal punishment - strict action needs to be taken against them to set an example of justice and security before the people of India, especially women,” his post on ‘X’ read.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed shock over the actions of the Odisha police. Referring to another case involving a Dalit girl in Ayodhya, she noted that the police treated the gang-rape survivor unjustly, pressuring her instead of providing justice, reportedly due to the accused's connections with the BJP.
“BJP governments across the country are working on the policy of turning the police from protectors to predators. Under BJP governments, the criminal attitude of the police towards crimes against women actually flourishes by getting protection from those in power. In such a situation, what should the women of the country do for safety and justice, where should they go?,” she also posted on twitter.
At a press conference addressing the issue, Congress spokesperson and Chairperson of the Social Media and Digital Platforms, Supriya Shrinate, also slammed the BJP governments. “Women are not safe even inside police stations in BJP-ruled states,” she stated.
She highlighted the irony that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken of women’s empowerment in the same state, within 72 hours of his speech, a woman was subjected to brutal torture, including sexual exploitation, by some monstrous policemen inside a police station.
