Haryana is India’s ‘rape state’, CM’s attitude shocking: Cong

Terming Haryana the ‘Rape State of India’, the Congress on Saturday said that it was shocking that the attitude of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his government was more on shifting blame instead of acting against the culprits.

“It is shocking to see that every single day when we open newspaper or see TV, one feels that Haryana is looking like the ‘Rape Capital’, the ‘Rape State of India’,” Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev told media persons here.

“What is more appalling is the attitude of the Chief Minister of Haryana Khattarji who clearly rather than concentrating on preventing such heinous crimes against women and taking serious action against the culprits of such rapes is more involved or focused more on making political statements and (playing a) blame game.”

Haryana recently has seen several cases against women with the most recent being gang rapes of two minor Dalit girls.

A delegation of senior leaders including former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had also met the state Governor to seek instant action against the culprits, and also demanded that instead of one time compensation, the Haryana government should give a permanent government job to one of the victim’s family.

“We visited the very poor family in Kurukshetra ..... the father and the mother of the young victim who was kidnapped and brutally raped and left to die. She was a young mind and just scored 95 per cent in her school and her parents had a dream that she will go on to become a professional and strengthen the family. Today if a girl of 15 is raped and killed, can any parent be compensated with a onetime compensation of Rs 4 lakh?” Dev asked.

She also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the issue in his monthly radio talk.

Senior party leader Kumari Selja, who was also present, sought Khattar’s resignation.