Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday came down heavily on the Odisha government over the rise in crimes in the State as revealed by the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP leader Irasis Acharya said, “Odisha has recorded a nearly two-fold increase in violent crimes in 2022. While almost 22244 cases of violent crimes were registered in 2021, the number rose to 40566 in 2022. It is unfortunate that there is so much crime in the State but the Chief Minister sitting inside his cosy house is being credited as India’s number one Chief Minister.”
“Despite being way behind in setting up industries, Odisha has topped in the industrial riots chart. What is even more concerning is the crime against senior citizens which has risen by 161 percent from 2021. Even the crime against women, children and SC/ST has risen so much in Odisha,” Acharya said.
“If that is not enough, NCRB puts Odisha on the top spot in cybercrimes against women and in political violence. NCRB report says 224 political riots happened in Odisha in 2022, even more than Kerala which is in the second spot,” Acharya added.
Raking up the Ambabhona police station vandalism case, Acharya said, “Former minister and MLA Sushant Singh along with more than 100 BJD goons were involved in the case. Cases was registered against 102 accused under sections like attempt to murder, threatening to kill and SC/ST act. However, the police only managed to arrest 22 accused. Out of that only four are in police custody and others have already been released on bail.”
According to the recently released NCRB report, three in every 1 lakh population have been murdered in the state in a year. As per the same report, the State has achieved the dubious distinction of registering the fourth highest cases of women abuse in the country. Not only molestation, but all kinds of crimes against women have increased in Odisha in 2022 compared to 2021.