PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The president of Uttarakhand Mahila Congress, Jyoti Rautela has said that the incidents of rape, murder and harassment against women have surged in the State in the last five years. Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan on Monday, she said that hundreds of cases of crimes against women registered in the last five years indicate that the BJP government has completely failed to ensure women’s safety.
Rautela said that 3,431 cases of crimes against women were registered in the year 2021, while 4,337 , 3,808, 4,000 and more than 4,200 cases were registered in the state in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Rautela said that Uttarakhand which was known for its peace, tourism, education and cultural values is now known for increasing cases of crime. She said that the identity of the VIP involved in the murder of Ankita Bhandari murder is still not known.
Mahila Congress president presented a long list of the recent cases of crime and atrocities on the women in the State terming them as a proof of deteriorating law and order situation in Uttarakhand.
Rautela added that that across the country, numerous BJP leaders and those close to them have been accused of serious crimes against women, including rape, sexual abuse and harassment. Neither the central government nor the State governments concerned appear to be taking any concrete and impartial action in these cases. She said that the name of Union minister Hardeep Puri has appeared in files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “He himself admitted to meeting Epstein, yet this matter is not being discussed in Parliament,’’ she said.
Rautela also said that the questions raised by senior BJP leaders Subramanian Swamy and Madhu Kishwar about their own party’s leadership and functioning raise serious concerns. Despite this, the government’s silence on these issues is worrying for democracy, she added.
President of Mahanagar Mahila Congress Urmila Thapa, district president Poonam Kandari and others were present in the press conference.
