Bhubaneswar: The Congress party has formed a five-member fact-finding team, comprising women leaders, to visit Odisha and investigate the alleged rise in atrocities against women and the disturbing number of women reported missing in the state. The team will submit a comprehensive report on the situation.
The team, led by Congress general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi, includes three MPs: Ranjeet Ranjan, Praniti Shinde, and S Jothimani, as well as Shobha Oza. The initiative comes after a horrific gang rape incident of a college girl at Gopalpur in Odisha.
The team’s formation was announced by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, who stated that the Congress president has deputed the team to visit Odisha and submit a report on the situation. The team aims to assess the law and order situation in the state, particularly with regard to women’s safety.
The move follows criticism from Congress leaders, including All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, who questioned the BJP government’s ability to ensure women’s security in Odisha. Lamba pointed out that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises, Odisha has seen a high number of crimes against women, including rape and atrocities.
Odisha Mahila Congress president Meenakshi Bahinipati alleged that crimes against women have increased under the BJP government in Odisha, citing the recent gang rape incident in Gopalpur. The incident has sparked outrage, with Congress leaders demanding justice for the victim and action against the perpetrators.