Congress-ruled Rajasthan has become a "completely failed state" with at least 17-18 rape cases being registered every day, the BJP claimed on Friday and asked Rahul Gandhi when he will visit the state to see the "total collapse" of law and order.
Raising the issue of women's safety in Rajasthan, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also listed alleged incidents of atrocities against Dalits and hit out at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge -- a leader from the community -- for not taking cognisance of such cases.
"As per media reports, every day 17 to 18 cases of rape and 5 to 7 cases of murder are registered in Rajasthan … Extortion of businessmen is happening every day. Rajasthan is (in) number one position when it comes to crimes against women, crimes against children and atrocities on Dalits," Shekhawat said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.
Advertisement
Rajasthan is also in the number one position in corruption and the state's economy is in a "miserable" condition, he alleged.
Shekhawat charged, "Rajasthan has failed on every front. Law and order in Rajasthan has completely collapsed. While women are living in fear in the state, the criminals have no fear of police. And the government is keeping its eyes closed."
Given the prevailing situation, Rajasthan qualifies the definition of a "failed and fragile" state, the Union minister said, adding that people there will give a befitting reply to the Congress when the time comes.
The BJP's reaction comes amid attacks from the opposition on the situation in Manipur after a May 4 video showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side surfaced on Wednesday.
Advertisement
Asked about Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of comparing the situation in Manipur with that in Chhattisgarh due to upcoming elections, Shekhawat said, "If he looks at crimes against women from an election point of view, I think he should find an option to drown in a handful of water in shame."
Before the start of the Monsoon session of Parliament on Thursday, Modi said the incident in Manipur has shamed 140 crore Indians, asserting that law will act with its full might and no guilty will be spared.
He also mentioned states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while calling for boosting law and order, and protecting women.
Baghel had on Thursday accused Modi of trying to defame Chhattisgarh by allegedly comparing the law and order situation in violence-hit Manipur to that of the poll-bound Congress-ruled state.
Speaking on the situation in Rajasthan on Friday, the BJP's state in-charge Arun Singh said there is "jungle raj" today with the "total collapse" of order.
"In Karauli, a Dalit woman was abducted, raped, shot at and acid poured on her before her body was thrown into a well. This kind of heart-wrenching incidents of rape is happening every day.
"Perpetrators of the crime are threatening the victims and their families. There was a case of gangrape five kilometres away from the chief minister’s residence,” Singh, a BJP general secretary, said.
Advertisement
But Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is busy in "proving lies as truth", he charged.
Singh referred to some other cases of crimes against women in Rajasthan and slammed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for not paying a visit to the victims' families to express their sympathies.
"The Rajasthan government has completely failed. There is a nexus of police administration, government and criminals. Postings of useless officers are done on the recommendations of Congress MLAs and ministers, and the criminals perpetrate crime under their protection," Singh alleged.
"Rahul ji, when will you visit Dausa, Alwar and Karauli in Rajasthan?" he asked.
Advertisement
The BJP leader accused Rahul Gandhi of "double standards" on crimes against women.
Referring to some of the incidents of crimes against women and cases of alleged atrocities against Dalits, Singh said, "Leave aside going there, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi did not condemn such incidents even on Twitter."
"This double standard will not work," the BJP leader said, claiming that the Congress rule has become "a burden" on Rajasthan.
Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address a public meeting in Rajasthan's Banswara district on August 9, the Congress' state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on Friday.
