Women's safety a 'joke' in Odisha, claims Congress

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera Friday claimed that women's safety has turned out to be a "joke" in Odisha, alleging there is no end to the rise in the crimes against women in the state during both the previous BJD and the current BJP regimes.

At a press conference here, Khera, the AICC Media & Publicity department chairman, and state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das attacked the BJP dispensation for not announcing a House Committee to inquire into the rise in the crimes against women in the state.

Congress MLAs had created a ruckus in the assembly for the past few days demanding formation of a House Committee to inquire into the alleged rise in crime against women across the state after the BJP came to power nine months ago. The Speaker suspended for seven days all 14 party legislators in two phases on March 25 and 26.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, however, told the assembly two days ago that since the BJP came to power in June 2024, crime against women and children, in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year, has reduced significantly.

Khera alleged that while the Congress MLAs were suspended from the Assembly raising the women's safety issue, the state’s main opposition party, the BJD remained silent.

“This is because the BJP people were also silent when the women had gone missing from the state during the BJD regime. Now, the BJD is silent over the issue while the Congress alone fights for the safety of women in Odisha,” he said.

“Women's safety has turned out to be a big joke in Odisha as thousands of women and girls go missing for years together while the government claims to be promoting (Central scheme) Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,” Khera said ridiculing the BJP government at the Centre.

He wondered how women would fulfil their dreams if they fear to go outside their homes.

“Girls fear to go to schools because of the unsafe environment. A 6th standard girl in government school becomes pregnant and the skeleton of another girl of Kandhamal is found in a jungle. There are so many instances,” he said.

As many as 44,000 women and girls had gone missing from Odisha when the state was ruled by BJD between 2000 and 2024, while 20,000 others were not found during the last eight months after the BJP came to power in June last year, Khera claimed.

“It is not a small matter. It is a matter of great concern. Odisha now is among the top four/five states in terms of crimes against women,” the senior Congress leader asserted.

Stating that the people worship Goddess Subhadra in the state, but the government is unable to secure its women and children, he asked, “What can be a more shameful matter than this? Have these missing women and girls fallen into the trap of any organ trading racket?” The AICC leader said the Congress has been fighting both in and outside the Assembly on this issue and it will continue.

Khera also described the crimes against women are sins and not just crimes.

“The people of Odisha will punish the state government for the sins it committed. These sins are also being noticed by the God and Maa Subhadra whom we all worship,” he said.

All 14 Congress MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for raising the issue of crime against women and demanding formation of a House Committee, Das said.

The party supporters were also beaten up when they held demonstrations seeking safety for women, claimed the state Congress chief.

Referring to Thursday’s clash during a 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ agitation by the Congress, Khera alleged that what happened was a demonstration of the Modi-Shah combine’s design to break the peaceful agitation.