Kolkata, April 17 -- The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday expressed outrage over the silence of the BJP-led Central government and women's rights bodies in the aftermath of the brutal gangrape of a 19-year-old woman in Varanasi, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's Constituency.

The party's women wing president Chandrima Bhattacharya has presented a comparative figure claiming that women are not safe in the BJP-ruled states. Sharing alarming statistics, Bhattacharya said: "In UP alone, 65,743 incidents of violence against women have taken place. This is followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan - all BJP-ruled states! Beti Bachao slogan is just for the campaign as none of our daughters are safe."

Trinamool Congress' national spokesperson Shashi Panja attacked Prime Minister Modi saying: "This condemnable incident has taken place in Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, who refers to himself as the Pradhan Sewak and frequently promotes 'Beti Bachao'. The 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' slogan has become a mere public relations campaign. Bengal's Aparajita Bill, which proposes the strictest punishment for rapists and mandates fast-track trials, remains stuck awaiting the Centre's nod. Clearly, 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' exists only in words, not in practice."

Trinamool Youth Congress president Saayoni Ghosh questioned the alleged inaction of the National Commission for Women in connection with the Varanasi gangrape incident. "This entire racket was operational for a very long time and was happening right under the nose of the administration. 10 of the accused continue to roam free in broad daylight. I wonder, where is the 'Beti Bachao' brigade now? Where is the National Commission for Women? Are they assigned duties only when it comes to the Opposition-ruled States?" asked Ghosh.

The ruling party in Bengal slammed the BJP for its failure to check atrocities on women in those states where they were in power. Trinamool Congress also questioned the PM's idea of "Nari Shakti" when a woman was brutally tortured.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.