Congress urges Supreme Court to order probe into atrocities on women in Odisha

- ?Cites cases of sexual exploitation of young girls

- 44,000 women, children missing in state

NEW DELHI, MARCH 7: The Congress today alleged that women were most unsafe in Odisha where one of the victims of sexual exploitation delivered a baby in the examination hall while taking her exam. Citing several incidents of the last few months, the party demanded that the BJP government should change its approach, take accountability for such a grim scenario in the state and respond to this sensitive issue with seriousness.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC office here today, the Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das along with the state in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu presented the horrific details of sexual exploitation and gang rape of girls, as young as six year old in the state.

The Congress leaders urged the Supreme Court of India to take suo moto notice of the situation prevailing in Odisha where women are no longer safe.

They disclosed that when the Chief Minister was asked about the rising crime against women in the state, he said it was less than what was happening during the previous Biju Janata Dal regime. They observed, it was the extreme of insensitivity towards such an issue.

The Odisha Congress president asked the Prime Minister what happened to his slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, while quoting several incidents of sexual exploitation, rape and gang-rape of girls as young as six year old.

 Quoting figures given by the BJP government in Odisha, he said, during its eight-month tenure 3420 women and 8,430 children have gone missing, while there have been 54 gang-rapes.

He disclosed that in a shocking incident a class ten student studying in a residential school had become pregnant and she delivered a baby on the day of her exam in the examination hall.

In another similarly shocking incident a Class VI student from the Chief Minister’s district became pregnant after she was raped. “While everyone is feeling ashamed of such incidents, the government is shameless about it”, he observed.

He said, if the government does not take note of the situation, the Supreme Court of India should order a probe by a sitting judge and make the government accountable and answerable.

Das also announced that the Congress party will launch an agitation and take the issue of atrocities against young girls and women to every village of the state, and highlight it all over the country.

 Speaking on the occasion Ajay Kumar Lallu said, the law and order has completely collapsed in Odisha. He said, no less a person than the Chief Minister himself has admitted in the Vidhan Sabha about the rising crime against women and children in the state.

 The Congress in-charge pointed out, 13 women go missing every day in Odisha, while 54 rapes have taken place during last 8 months of the BJP government’s tenure.

 Lallu questioned the union Home Minister as to what he was doing about such a horrible situation prevailing in the state. He observed that everyone was silent about it but the Congress party wants that justice should be done to young girls and women, and strong action should be taken against their culprits.