Rajasthan: Gehlot Slams BJP Govt's Failure on Women's Safety Amid Rising Crimes, Questions Raksha Bandhan Event

Jaipur- Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government for its failure to ensure the safety of women and children, echoing sentiments raised by Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully. Gehlot’s scathing remarks come in response to a series of recent atrocities against women and minors across Rajasthan, which he claims expose the government’s incompetence and lack of priority toward women’s security.

In a post on X, Gehlot expressed anguish over news reports highlighting incidents of violence against women and girls, juxtaposed with the state government’s advertisement for a Raksha Bandhan event at Birla Auditorium. “Reading about the atrocities on girls and women in today’s newspapers evokes feelings of sorrow and anger,” Gehlot wrote. He pointedly questioned, “Why has the BJP government completely failed in ensuring women’s safety? Is women’s safety not a priority for this government, or does it only want to stay in a ‘feel-good’ mode through PR, public relations, and advertising activities?

Similarly, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, too, launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, accusing it of failing to ensure the safety of women and children.

In a strongly worded statement, Jully described the law-and-order situation in Rajasthan as "completely collapsed," asserting that criminals are operating with impunity, leaving women, children, and common citizens vulnerable. "The audacity of criminals has reached such heights that the lives and dignity of innocents, women, and the general public are no longer safe anywhere in the state," Jully said. He accused the government and administration of acting as "shameless spectators" while incidents of brutality and barbarity continue to surface across Rajasthan.

Jully listed a series of recent crimes to stress his point, describing them as a "document of the government's failure":

• Dungarpur: A 6-year-old girl was raped and murdered.

• Dausa: A 7-year-old mute and deaf girl was sexually assaulted.

• Jaipur (Karni Police Station Area): A woman was gang-raped.

• Jaipur: A female security guard was raped.

• Bikaner: A foreign woman was sexually assaulted.

• Karauli: A 9-year-old girl was raped.

• Bagru: A labor inspector was shot dead.

• Kota: A young man was critically injured in a life-threatening attack.

"This is not just a list of incidents; it is a testament to the incompetence of this government," Jully stated, emphasizing that the cries of crime victims are echoing from nearly every district, including Jaipur, Bikaner, Kota, and Karauli. He accused the BJP government of turning a blind eye to the escalating crisis, metaphorically "plugging its ears with cotton."

Jully also strongly condemned a recent incident in Tijara, Rajasthan, where a woman was allegedly assaulted, forcibly detained, and her son taken into custody by police for protesting. Jully described the episode as a direct attack on democratic values and human dignity, further highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation.

He further criticized the incident as a violation of legal and social norms, noting, “The arrest of a woman without the presence of a female police officer is not only a disregard for the law but also an affront to social decorum.” He accused the BJP government of failing to curb crime while resorting to oppressive tactics against ordinary citizens, signaling a collapse of effective governance.