Long list of heinous crimes against women in Rajasthan, WB, and Bihar, but oppn playing politics over Manipur: BJP minister Anurag Thakur

There is a long list of heinous crimes against women in opposition-ruled states such as Rajasthan, West Bengal and Bihar, but it is playing politics over the Manipur incident, the BJP alleged on Saturday.

Tension mounted in the hills of strife-torn Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur referred to some cases of crime against women registered in Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal and slammed Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and the leaders of other opposition parties accusing them of remaining silent on cases of crimes against women in non-BJP ruled states.

"Over one lakh cases of crimes against women have been registered in Rajasthan in the last four years. A total of 33,000 cases pertaining to sexual assault on women in Rajasthan," Thakur alleged.

On the sacking of a Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha, he said that on the instructions of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sacked the minister for expressing concern over crimes against women in the state.

"Gudha was dismissed because he expressed concern over the increasing cases of crimes against women in Rajasthan and sought a debate on the issue and also called for introspection," Thakur alleged.

"Will Chief Minister Gehlot tender his resignation when his own minister says that the chief minister has lost his Iqbal (authority), when in his home district, a woman is murdered and burnt, and when five km away from his residence a woman is raped and left to die?” he asked.

"This is a question for (Congress chief Mallikarjun) Kharge and Gandhi parivaar leaders," he said and asked if they have “forgotten their responsibility".

Taking on the Trinamool Congress, the Union minister said when it comes to crimes against women, West Bengal is not far behind Rajasthan.

“Mamata (Banerjee) ji I don't know if any 'mamata' (endearment) is left in your heart or not but humanity was shamed when in Howrah's Panchla area, more than 40 goons of TMC paraded a woman naked on the day of panchayat polls and the candidate contesting the election was beaten up, insulted,” he charged.

"Not just this, a video is going viral in which two women are being paraded half-naked in West Bengal's Malda," the minister claimed.

"Where is Mamata Banerjee's 'mamata'? Where is the state government? Why is action not being taken," he asked.