Crimes against women in West Bengal, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have shaken the country, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Friday. When there was a need to send a tough message with regard to women security, attempts were made to protect the accused, she added.
She asserted that political protection and leniency shown to accused, and repeated granting of bail or parole have “let women down”. In a post on X, Mr. Vadra asked, “When government statistics show 86 rapes taking place every day, from whom should women expect protection?”
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Her remarks come amid nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. On Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also criticised the handling of the rape case by the local administration.
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In Uttarakhand’s Rudrapaur, nurse of a private hospital was raped and killed with her face crushed with a stone by the accused, who dumped her body at a vacant plot in a village in Uttar Pradesh. And in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, a 14-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly kidnapped from her house, was found dead a day later with several injury marks on her body.
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“The cruelty against women in Kolkata, Bihar, Uttarakhand and U.P. has shaken the entire country. At this time, women across the country are experiencing grief and anger. Whenever such incidents happen, women of the country see what the governments are doing. How serious are their words and measures,” Ms. Vadra said.
“Wherever there was a need to send a strong message about safety of women, efforts were made to save the accused. Repeated leniency in cases of heinous atrocities on women, political protection to the accused and actions like granting bail/parole to convicted prisoners let down women. What message does this send to the women of the country?” she asked.
