Bhubaneswar, Sep 21: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and former Army chief general (retired) VK Singh condemned the alleged sexual assault on the fiancée of an army officer at a police station in Odisha capital.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that the “horrific” incident has raised serious questions about the law and order situation in the country.
This "heinous incident" is a shame on humanity, said Rahul Gandhi.
“An army officer went to the police for help, only to be brutally beaten, while his fiancée was tortured in custody. This heinous incident is a shame on all of humanity,” Gandhi posted on social media.
“Under the BJP government, crimes against women have become completely uncontrolled and unbridled. When injustice thrives and finds shelter within the government system itself, then from whom should the common citizen look for help? All the culprits of this incident deserve the strictest legal punishment - strict action needs to be taken against them to set an example of justice and security before the people of India, especially women,” his post on ‘X’ read.
Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that the entire country is “shocked” over what had happened in the Bharatpur police station.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “The entire country is shocked by the way the police in Odisha committed brutality and sexual violence against the fiancée of an army officer who had gone to the police to seek help”.
She alleged that BJP governments across the country are working on the policy of turning the police “from protectors to predators”.
Former Chief of the Army Staff VK Singh described it as “shameful and horrendous”.
In a post on X, Singh demanded that the chief minister take immediate action against the police personnel and all who are trying to shield the criminals in police uniform.
The Crime Branch registered a case against five police personnel, including the inspector in charge of Bharatpur police station. The state government has already suspended them after the incident became public on Wednesday.
