Bhubaneswar: A fact-finding team of AICC on Tuesday alleged that women are not safe in Odisha, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s home district Keonjhar. Several incidents of crime against women were reported in the State in recent times.

The five-member all-women team of the All India Congress Congress (AICC), led by general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi, visited four districts of Odisha where rape, gang-rape and murder of women were reported recently. They visited Kandhamal, Ganjam, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in the past four days. After holding discussions with different stakeholders, including families of the victims, villagers and local police, the team members on Tuesday expressed shock over the rising crime against women in the State.

Briefing mediapersons here, the team member and MP Praniti Shinde said, “After meeting the families of each victim, I can only say that women are not safe in the culturally rich state of Odisha. A girl belonging to a poor family was killed when the State was celebrating a women’s festival.” “Only three words came to my mind to describe Odisha. Those are lawlessness, corruption and rape. Except for these three things, nothing more is happening in the State,” she alleged. There is an absolute collapse of the administrative system and society because there is no fear for the law in Odisha, Shinde said, while alleging, “Rape or murder is being reported in every fifth family in the State.” It is more unfortunate that the Chief Minister doesn’t have time to listen to the women, the Congress MP said while informing Chief Minister Majhi has not given time to the committee for a formal discussion.

She further said it is very sad that the government, which is making tall claims about women, has not given time to the fact-finding team, which is also an insult to the victims, who were raped and murdered. It also shows that the Chief Minister is not serious about the rape, murder and atrocities happening to the women, she added.Shinde said, “We got some shocking facts during the visit which we will inform our leadership. We wanted to share those facts with the Chief Minister, but he doesn’t have time for the women.”

Deepa Dasmunsi, Convenor of the Congress panel, alleged that atrocities against women have increased in Odisha during the past year after the BJP formed government in the State. “Human trafficking, missing of women and children, rapes and gang-rapes and other women-related crimes have increased in the State. The Chief Minister did not want to listen to these issues,” Dasmunsi said.

Ranjeet Ranjan, Rajya Sabha member, alleged, “A girl or woman is subjected to assault every 5 km in Odisha. The rape incidents are increasing because the rapists are roaming freely without conviction and unholy nexus among the government, police administration and rape accused persons.” The Congress party would take up the issue with the President and in Parliament, said Shobha Oza, another member of the panel.