Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday attacked the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government in Rajasthan and said a peaceful state had become No 1 in cases of sexual misconduct and crime against women in the last five years.

Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters here, Anurag Thakur said there were 1.09 lakh cases of crime against women in the state in the last four years, including 33,000 cases of rapes. Twenty-two per cent of the total cases of rape in the country were registered in Rajasthan. This makes Rajasthan No 1 in crime against women in the country, he said.

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Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted the states to take strong steps on crimes against women. Instead of taking action, the chief minister sacked a minister of state Rajendra Singh Gudha from the Council of Ministers after he criticised his own government on the atrocities against women in the poll-bound state.

In his address in the Rajasthan assembly yesterday, Rajendra Singh Gudha said, “It is true and should be accepted that we have failed in women’s safety. Instead of Manipur, we should look within ourselves why atrocities on women have increased in Rajasthan.”

Sharpening his attacks further, Thakur said Gehlot had removed one of his ministers on the orders of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

“On the orders of Sonia ji and Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot sacked one of his own ministers. Gudha was sacked as he expressed concern over the situation in Rajasthan,” Thakur said.

He said the sacked minister said there was lawlessness in the state and the state government had become ineffective. The Congress leadership should answer this. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had earlier said she could fight, why she takes no action now. Why she could not visit Rajasthan and West Bengal to look into the incidents of violence against women, Thakur said.

Countering Mr Gehlot’s comments earlier in the day in a press conference in which he launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of not visiting violence-hit Manipur, Thakur recounted incidents of violence against women in the State and said Gehlot has no right to be the chief minister of the state.

He said instead of taking any steps against the criminals, the chief minister sacked Gudha for raising his voice against atrocities on women in the state. The state administration of Rajasthan has done nothing to address the rise in crimes against women.

Thakur said incidents of sexual misconduct and atrocities against women have increased in some States and they are unfortunate and a matter of concern, as law and order is the responsibility of State governments. In many States, it was seen there were no corrective steps taken.

These incidents are a matter of shame for humanity. Some people however see things through the lens of politics only. Nari Asmita is in tatters in Bihar but the Nitish-Tejaswi duo, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, find nothing wrong and have not uttered a word about the Begusarai incident. This shows crime against women is increasing and criminals are getting protection also, Thakur said.

The union minister also asked why the Opposition was silent on crimes in West Bengal, Bihar, and Rajasthan. “Why are their lips sealed on violence in West Bengal? The humiliation of women in both Howrah and Malda are shocking,” Thakur said.

There was violence during recent elections in West Bengal, he said. Trinamul Congress elements misbehaved against a woman, and a candidate beaten up, he said. The Opposition talked of an alliance and their Governments were silent, he said.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “PM Modi has taken responsibility and assured that injustice against women will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.”

“Whatever happened in Manipur is unfortunate but what happened in West Bengal is even more unfortunate…The people who were raising their voices against Manipur violence, a similar incident happened in West Bengal. It is worrisome and shameful,” he said.