Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Jun 19: In response to a string of alleged crimes against women in Odisha, including a shocking gang rape in Gopalpur, the Congress party has constituted a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the incidents and present a detailed report to party leadership.
The team will be led by AICC General Secretary Deepa Dasmunshi, and includes MPs Ranjeet Ranjan, Praniti Shinde, S. Jothimani, and former party spokesperson Shobha Oza.
The immediate trigger was the alleged gang rape of a 20-year-old college student at Gopalpur beach during the Raja festival on June 15, where the victim and her male friend were reportedly attacked by 10 assailants, including four minors. The incident has stirred outrage across the state and beyond.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had earlier condemned the assault, alleging gross negligence by the state administration and citing that over 44,000 women and children have gone missing in Odisha in the past five years.
Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Odisha Mahila Congress President Meenakshi Bahinipati alleged a pattern of deteriorating women’s safety under the BJP-led government in the state.
“Crimes like rape and murder are on the rise. We protested, we gheraoed the Vidhan Sabha, and even wrote to the CM. But instead of action, our leaders were suspended from the Assembly,” she said.
Congress MLA Sofiya Firdous added that within the first eight months of the BJP government’s tenure, nearly 1,700 rape cases had been registered.
“We demanded the formation of a House Committee to investigate these incidents, but our voices were ignored,” she said.
The party also highlighted other recent assaults, including a June 19 incident in Mayurbhanj, where a 31-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by four acquaintances, and a suspected rape-murder of a 17-year-old girl in Keonjhar the day prior.
The Congress is using the moment to mount pressure on the Mohan Charan Majhi government, which recently completed its first year in office. Former CM Naveen Patnaik too had criticised the administration for inadequate safety measures in tourist zones, citing Gopalpur as a glaring example.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Bhubaneswar on June 20, where he will address a public event marking one year of BJP governance in Odisha, amid growing scrutiny over the state’s handling of women’s safety.