September 6th 2024.
During a recent assembly session, the Opposition parties BJD and Congress joined forces to push for a strict law to ensure the safety of women in their state. They pointed to the recent legislation passed in West Bengal, called the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill 2024’, which includes harsh penalties for rape convicts, such as capital punishment if the victim dies or is left in a vegetative state. The bill also aims to speed up investigations and put women officers in charge of handling rape cases. The Opposition parties criticized the current BJP government for not showing enough concern for the victims of rape and murder in their state, and for not taking enough action to prevent these heinous crimes.
The BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallik initiated the debate by highlighting the rise in rape-murder cases in the state, particularly in areas like Remuna, Balasore, Naktideula, Sambalpur, and Patana, which have seen tragic incidents since the new government took office in June. She demanded that the victims' families be given Rs 10 lakh as compensation and criticized the government for not even visiting the victims' homes. Mallik also brought up a case from the Chief Minister's own district of Keonjhar, where a girl was raped and killed after being abducted. She accused the government of lacking empathy and urged them to follow in the footsteps of West Bengal by enacting a strict law to prevent such crimes.
BJD member Goutam Buddha Das also spoke out against the BJP government, accusing them of constantly blaming the previous regime for crimes against women instead of taking responsibility. However, he also pointed out that the white paper released by the government showed a decline in such crimes during the BJD rule. Senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati echoed the concerns of the Opposition, stating that women and children are not safe in the state. He urged both parties to stop playing the blame game and instead work together to pass a new law with stringent provisions to ensure justice for victims of crimes against women.
Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, a woman herself, criticized both the BJP and BJD for not addressing the root cause of these crimes, which she believes is alcohol consumption. She emphasized the need for proper education and self-defense lessons for girls to protect themselves. In response to the Opposition's concerns, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister, assured that the government is committed to protecting women and children. He stated that the police have taken swift action in arresting the accused and ensuring that justice is served.
However, the replies from the government did not satisfy the Opposition, and they walked out of the assembly in protest. Both the BJD and Congress members believe that the government needs to take more concrete steps to prevent crimes against women and provide justice for the victims. The discussion in the assembly shed light on the rising number of such cases in the state and the urgent need for action to ensure the safety and protection of women and children.
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