Ujjain rape: Congress targets MP government, BJP shots back

Bhopal, Sep 6 (IANS) The Congress on Friday targetted the Mohan Yadav government in Madhya Pradesh, questioning its silence on the Ujjain rape tragedy, after which the BJP hit back, saying the grand old party was trying to draw political mileage from the incident.

The opposition Congress alleged that the BJP government failed to protect the women in the state.

Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath said such incidents are happening across the state.

"Rape incidents are happening in every part of the state. Very few incidents are being reported. I have been raising the issue of law and order in the state for the past several years," Kamal Nath said.

The Congress trained its guns on Chief Minister Yadav, who also holds the portfolio of state Home Minister.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has adopted a double standard on rape incidents.

He said the BJP's top leaders made statements on West Bengal's rape and murder case, but have maintained silence on the Ujjain incident.

"The BJP held relentless protests in West Bengal's incident (rape and murder of a woman doctor). But, they are maintaining silence for such cases in Madhya Pradesh. Why CM Mohan Yadav and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan have maintained silence on rape incidents happening across Madhya Pradesh," Patwari questioned.

Responding to the Congress allegations, state State BJP president and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma hit back at Patwari, accusing him of attempting to tarnish Madhya Pradesh's image.

MP BJP leaders unanimously said that Patwari was "seeing heinous acts like rape as an opportunity for his political gain."

Sharma said, "Leaders like Jitu Patwari do politics on rape incidents because they have nothing else to do."

"The BJP government was the first to make law for death sentence for accused of rape," Sharma maintained.

"The victim in the rape case met the accused near a liquor shop and they consumed alcohol together. After she came under the influence of alcohol, the accused overpowered and raped her," he said.