Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday flayed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for making “controversial statements to hide failures”.
The remarks came as a reaction to the CM’s statement on Friday in Delhi during the demonstration by Congress against the Central government over price rise and unemployment. Gehlot had said, “after the Nirbhaya case, the demand to hang the accused gained momentum and after that, the law came into force. Since then, there has been an increase in the cases of murder of women after rape.”
“Due to the law on the hanging of culprits after the Nirbhaya case, the incidents of murder after rape have increased. This is a dangerous trend being seen in the country,” he added.
Soon after the CM’s remarks, the BJP has been targetting the state for the unstable law and order.
Shekhawat sought an apology from Gehlot and also asked for clarification from Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stating, “On one hand, the party gives slogans like ‘I am a girl, I can fight (Ladki hu, lad Sakti hu)’ and on the other hand, their CMs give such comments on the laws taken out for the safety of the girls.”
“He (Gehlot) should justify the statements he has made for hiding the failures of their government,” he said adding that the BJP demands to receive an explanation on the matter from the party’s (Congress) end.
“A cognisance of the National Commission of Women should also be considered in the matter,” added Shekhawat.
“The way Rajasthan government’s only priority is to protect the seat, it is ignorant of the atrocities that have happened in the state for last three to three and a half years,” he said. It is more unfortunate that the government is making such controversial remarks to cover up its failures and indolence, added Shekhawat.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also lashed out at Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan and demanded Congress general secretary’s response on Gehlot’s rape law remarks.
Poonawalla said that Gehlot was blaming the rape laws, which were made stringent after the Nirbhaya episode which took place under the UPA watch, instead of blaming the rapists. He slammed the mindset of the Congress party and said it is suffering from a “blame game” mentality.
Poonawala said, “In the past, Gehlot said that most of the rape cases filed by SC women are fake and even blamed rapes on rising unemployment and price rise. He also reminded about the statements of Shantilal Dhariwal, Minister in the Gehlot government, who said that Rajasthan was a ‘Mardon Ka Pradesh’ while justifying why Rajasthan had become number one in rapes and women atrocities.
He linked this to the rise in rapes in Rajasthan.”
Poonawalla wondered if the Congress party was batting for weaker rape laws. He slammed Vadra for remaining silent on this statement and questioned her on her continuous silence over a series of sexist and anti-women remarks made by Congress leaders.
Attacking her for her politics on women’s atrocities, he said that the slogan ‘Ladki Hoon lad Sakte Hoon’ had become ‘Ladki hoon bach sakti hoon’ in Rajasthan.
Poonawalla further added that in Rajasthan, the law and order situation has gone out of control, be it rapes or riots. He accused Congress of extending a hand of patronage to rioters and to rapists by recounting how the Karauli riots main accused was still not caught.
He said, “Over 2,000 rape cases of young girls take place in Rajasthan every year.” He also asked whether the congress party would next provide facilities and employment opportunities to rapists.