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Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress today demanded a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the series of rape of minor girls in Odisha including the recent gang-rape in Malkangiri district, with BJD members saying that isolated incidents should not be highlighted.
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"We want a statement by the chief minister, who is also home minister, on what is happening in the state. Why has the government failed to check rising rapes of minor girls," Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan asked in the Assembly.
Ridiculing the state government's claim about steps to check crimes against women, Harichandan said 1458 rape cases were registered in 2012 compared to 1112 cases in 2011.
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The police filed chargesheet in only 50 per cent cases and the rate of conviction was very low, he said.
"Is this the state government's stringent action against rapists?" he asked adding that there was a spate of gangrapes in the state also.
Gangrapes increased to 80 in 2012 from 73 in the previous year, he said accusing the government of failing to provide safety to women, particularly minor girls.
The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh.
"A 13-year-old girl was mercilessly raped by four persons and is struggling for survival in hospital," Singh said.
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