15 rapes in 1 mth in Haryana makes Om Prakash Chautala prescribe ‘child marriage’ to curb sex crimes by youths

After submitting a memorandum to Governor Jagannath Pahadia over recent cases of rape in Haryana,Chautala slammed the Congress government in the state for the “worsening” law and order situation.

“Four cases of rape were reported on the very day Congress president Sonia Gandhi came to meet a rape victim in Jind district,” the INLD leader claimed.

When asked to respond to Khap panchayats’ controversial suggestion,Chautala gave his support,saying it will help curbing such crimes against women.

Following a rise in cases of rape in Haryana,Khap panchayats had suggested doing away with the marriageable age limit,claiming it will check such crimes.

“Boys and girls should be married by the time they turn 16,so that they do not stray… this will decrease the incidents of rape,” Sube Singh,a Khap representative had said.

A Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and raped by two youths in Kasba Kalyat area of Kaithal district in the 15th incident of sexual assault on women within a month in Haryana.

The victims included teenaged girls.

Kaithal SP,Kuldeep Singh Yadav said police have registered a case against two youths Rakesh and Pawan under Section 376 (rape) of IPC on the basis of the statement made by the victim after the incident yesterday.

She was also medically examined,he said.

He said the matter was still under investigation and both the accused have been arrested.

The victim made the statement before the magistrate and levelled charges of rape against those arrested.

“Look back at the past,the Mughal sultanate in this country used to misbehave with women and used to kidnap them.

In order to prevent that people started getting their young girls married early so that no one does anything wrong to them.

“….I have seen girls getting married at tender age,the same situation is back again,” Chautala said.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said Haryana government cannot be blamed for the rise in rape incidents and called for a collective battle against this problem.

The Congress is confident that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be able to deal with the situation and no advice needed be given to him,Renuka told reporters in Delhi.

Congress tries to defend Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Congress was today trying hard to defend Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who is in the line of fire over rape incidents in his state,saying he is “not sitting with hands tied” and argued that crimes against women were happening everywhere.

Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said the issue should not be sensationalised by the media even as the state witnessed another rape–the 15th in a month.

Asked as to why the Haryana administration was unable to check the rising incidents of rape,Chowdhury told reporters,”I am not talking about ‘A’ government….There is an issue in society. All over the world,crime is rising…. It is a challenge.

“The Chief Minister is not sitting with his hands tied. It is an unfair accusation. He is seized of it and he will deal with the matter.”

She said that the media “should not be sensationalising” when reporting such incidnets. “Sensitivity should be there when you report these matters.”

Chowdhary said that “it is not true that no action is being taken against the culprits in these matters.”

She called for a collective battle against this problem.

The Congress spokesperson’s defence of Haryana government over the rape controversy came a day after party President Sonia Gandhi visited Jind district and met the family of a Dalit teenaged girl,who immolated herself after being allegedly gang-raped.

Gandhi had said that perpetrators of such “barbaric” crimes must be severely punished.

The Congress spokesperson was also critical of INLD chief Om Prakash Singh Chautala’s statement backing the idea of Khap panchayats to reduce the marriageable age of boys and girls to 16 years to curb incidents of sexual assault.

The spokesperson said it was “unfortunate” and that there is a need to bring about a “change in the mindset”.

A Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and raped by two youths in Kasba Kalyat area of Kaithal district in the 15th incident of sexual assault on women within a month in Haryana. The victims included teenaged girls.

Chowdhary,who faced a volley of questions on the issue,also dismissed as “nonsense” certain objectionable remarks by Ramdev,suggesting that he should have a broad outlook on the fairer sex.