BJP govt in Madhya Pradesh incapable of protecting dignity of women, says Congress

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of being incapable of protecting the dignity of women and girls in the state after a video clip of a 12-year-old rape victim found bleeding on a street in Ujjain went viral on social media.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be able to hear the screams of women only if they take some time off election campaigning.

"Modiji is travelling from place to place showing the dream of women's reservation and trying to garner applause. The reality is that a very painful incident of brutality has come to light against a 12-year-old minor from BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh," Kharge said.

He alleged that the highest number of rape cases is reported from Madhya Pradesh, where eight such incidents occur every day.

"If Modiji and his Chief Minister Shivraj Singhji get some time off election campaigning, they will probably be able to hear the screams of the women of Madhya Pradesh," the Congress chief said.

Gandhi said the horrific crime committed against the 12-year-old girl is "an assault on the soul of Bharat Mata."

Madhya Pradesh reports the highest number of crimes against women and incidents of rape against girls, he claimed.

"While those who committed this crime are criminals, but the BJP government in the state is also responsible as it is incapable of protecting the daughters. There is no justice, no law and order and no rights -- today, the entire country is ashamed of the condition of the daughters of Madhya Pradesh."

"But the chief minister of the state and the prime minister of the country have no shame at all -- they have suppressed the screams of the daughters amidst election speeches, hollow promises and false slogans," the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on the microblogging website.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Randeep Surjewala said the BJP government in the state should be ashamed over the horrific and heinous incident, which is even more disgusting than the 'Nirbhaya incident'.

"A BJP government that cannot do justice to an innocent 12-year-old girl does not have the right to remain in power even for a moment. Eight incidents of rape occur every day under the BJP's rule, 58,000 rapes have taken place in 18 years, 68,000 daughters and women have been kidnapped in 18 years. Now the time has come to oust the BJP government of such cowards," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

Surjewala said the Ujjain incident has put the country's soul to shame as a 12-year-old girl was raped and the victim was seen roaming around in a semi-nude and bleeding condition for hours.

"What is happening in Madhya Pradesh? If Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the BJP get time from celebrating, they will be able to hear the screams of the daughters of Madhya Pradesh. The government is sleeping.... Those scoundrels behind the crime should be arrested immediately," he said.‍ Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath demanded that the victim be given a financial assistance of Rs 1 crore and the accused be given the strictest possible punishment.

"It is heart-wrenching to see the case of extremely cruel rape of a little girl in Ujjain. The kind of heinous crime committed against the 12-year-old daughter and the way she ran around in several areas of the city in a semi-nude condition, before falling unconscious on the road, puts humanity to shame," he wrote on X.

Nath said the rule of law has come to an end in Madhya Pradesh and criminals are roaming about freely.

A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident and a suspect detained, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. The victim, who is being treated at a hospital in Indore, is out of danger, he added.

The girl, who was found roaming around the streets of Ujjain on September 25, probably hails from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, but her identity is yet to be ascertained as she has not been able to tell her name and address to police, an official said.