Saptarishi idols collapse, brutal rape of minor girl in Ujjain may trouble BJP in polls

BHOPAL: The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has already been facing questions over growing crime against women in the state and the latest brutal rape of minor in Ujjain is likely to cause the party more trouble in the run up to the Assembly elections.

The horrific incident, in which the minor girl was not only raped but her private part were brutalised and she had to wander from door to door for help for hours, has not just raised questions over law and order situation but also left people angry.

More importantly, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who leaves no opportunity to attack the opposition when such incident occurred in non-BJP ruled states, is also likely to face resentment of the people due to this incident.

The heinous incident occurred in Ujjain, where the visibility of police is expected to be more, compared to other cities, as a large number of people visit to the city everyday to offer their prayer at Mahakaleshwar temple.

The Congress, led by state chief Kamal Nath, has been strategically targeting the Chouhan-led MP government majorly on two issues – corruption in governance and atrocities against SCs/STs along with crime against women.

The opposition party now attempting to create an impression that BJP government launched "Ladli Behna Yojana" to hide its failure in protection of women of the state and to win public sympathy for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The collapse of six idols of Saptarishis in newly-constructed ‘Mahakal Lok’ in Ujjain has already come as a major embarrassment for the ruling BJP and now the rape of minor girl in the same city occurred when the elections are just months away.

More importantly, the victim hails from Satna in the Vindhya region of the state where the BJP is already facing resentment of the people due to various incidents, including urinating on tribal’s face in adjoining Sidhi in July this year.

Kamal Nath would hardly miss raising these two issues – corruption and women's security in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is leading the party poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh, had condemned the Ujjain’s incident as "soul-shattering".

"This is Madhya Pradesh’s law and order and women’s safety? Girls, women, tribals and Dalits are not safe in the 20 years of BJP's misgovernance. What is the use of making election announcements in the name of beloved sister if girls cannot even get protection and help?" she posted on social media

According to the NCRB’s report, Madhya Pradesh reported most incidents of rapes in the country in 2021 (6,462). Out of them, more than 50 per cent were crimes against minors. The state also topped in crime rate against people belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC).

Congress leader and former Chairperson of state women commission Sobha Oza, who along with other party workers staged a protest against the minor girl’s rape in Ujjain, said that "the data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2023 (which is in the last five years), 61,102 children went missing in the state, out of which 49,024 are girls and 12,078 are boys."

Three days after brutal incident, Ujjain district police on Thursday evening claimed to have arrested the main accused, who has been identified as Bhart Soni, an auto driver. Police said the accused was taken to the crime spot, and tried to escape but got injured after colliding with a concrete wall and has been admitted at government hospital in Ujjain. Responding to the arrest of the accused, CM Chouhan said: "We will leave no stone unturned to give the harshest punishment to accused. Such criminals do not deserve to live in society. He has injured the soul of Madhya Pradesh."