Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s comments on ‘murders after rapes’ has sparked a massive controversy, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party stating that the CM “cannot escape from the failures of the government by making absurd statements”.
Gehlot had said that murders after rapes have increased ever since the new legislation entailing death penalty for rape has come into force.
Deputy leader of opposition and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore said Gehlot’s statement is unfortunate and shameful.
Citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics and police reports, Rathore claimed that Rajasthan ranks first in India in rape cases, with nearly 2,000 incidents (on an average) being reported in the state every year. From January 2020 to January 2022, 4,091 cases were registered under the POCSO Act in the state, he said.
Addressing newspersons in Delhi on Friday, Gehlot spoke on various issues such as inflation, ‘Agnipath’ defence recruitment scheme, corruption, democracy, unemployment and crime.
Also Read:Ashok Gehlot’s comment on rape cases, Nirbhaya incident triggers criticism
“Today, the unemployment rate is at its peak, along with inflation…amid that you see that anti-social elements are flourishing. Crime is increasing everywhere within the country and the state…all kinds of crime are increasing. Violence is happening in the name of religion and you know whose policy it is…clashes are happening on small issues, tension and violence are increasing in the name of religion…somewhere girls are being raped, and ever since the death penalty has been brought into force after the Nirbhaya incident, murders after rape have increased. The rapist sees that the girl will become a witness tomorrow, so they not only rape, but kill the victims. I am seeing this as a big trend in the country. The report that is coming out is a very dangerous trend,” the senior Congress leader said.
According to NCRB 2020 data, Rajasthan registered the highest number of rape cases in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh. Though the state continues to record the highest number of rape cases, the number of cases (5,997) has declined by 11.45% in comparison to 2019.
Rathore said that in the previous BJP government in the state, a law was made for the provision of capital punishment to those accused of raping a minor. “If you have the courage to bring a resolution against this law in the assembly, then we will give a befitting reply to them,” he said.
