In the wake of the alleged gang rape of a 20-year-old college student on Gopalpur beach in Odisha’s Ganjam district, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi has launched an attack on the BJP-led state government, accusing it of failing to protect women and ignoring a growing crisis.
Ten men allegedly raped an undergraduate student from Berhampur, on Sunday night after she visited the beach with her boyfriend during the Raja festival. According to her complaint, the group detained her boyfriend and took turns to rape her at an isolated spot.
Taking to X on Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi wrote: “The strongest words are not enough to condemn the brutality that was meted out to a student by 10 men in Gopalpur, Odisha. Violence against women is increasing day by day in Odisha. In a state where the Chief Minister himself admits that about 44,000 women and children have disappeared in the last five years, not giving priority to women's safety is in itself an atrocity against women.”
On Wednesday, Congress workers marched towards the chief minister’s residence in Bhubaneswar. A scuffle broke out when police tried to stop the protesters. Police detained several party leaders and workers.
Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka called for chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s resignation.
“It is a very sad and tragic incident. Such a heinous crime, how dare they do something like this in Gopalpur? This is because over the last year, the atrocities against women have increased. We have been demanding continuously to take action. We wanted to form a House Committee. I have raised this in Parliament that around 50,000 women are missing. Multiple brutal rapes are happening all over the state.
“Because the Government is not taking any steps and nothing is happening, the perpetrators have the courage to do such activities. I think the CM should be held accountable for this because he is also the Home Minister. So, on moral grounds, ideally, the CM should resign. But we have seen that the BJP government never takes accountability,” Ulaka said.
The Odisha police have arrested ten individuals — six adults and four juveniles — in connection with the case. Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said, “All accused have been arrested. I have directed the SP to take all measures to ensure such an incident does not occur again.”
BJP MLA Sidhant Mohapatra said: “No matter how strongly we condemn this, it will still not be enough. The question now is how to stop such incidents, and the CM has also taken serious note of it. Those responsible must receive the strictest possible punishment. As a father of a daughter, I deeply understand the pain this incident brings. Those guilty must face the harshest punishment possible.”