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Bhubaneswar, March 14: Furious members of the Opposition railed against SC/ST development minister Lalbihari Himirika in the Assembly Saturday after the minister in a huge gaffe disclosed the identities of five minor rape victims during a discussion in the House Friday.
Himirika was responding to a question by legislator Dillip Ray in the House Friday when he disclosed the names and addresses of the five minor girls who were allegedly raped in state-run schools recently.
Disclosure of rape victims’ identities is prohibited by law and is a punishable offence.
BJP members attacked the government over the minister’s gaffe and demanded his resignation, while Congress members sought an assurance from the government that the lapse is not repeated.
“It is a punishable offence. On one hand, the government has failed to provide security to girl students in its own schools, and on the other it has disclosed the names of the rape victims. It is highly condemnable and the minister should immediately tender an apology,” BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said while addressing mediapersons here Saturday.
Sharma went on to demand Himirika’s resignation, drawing attention to the rise in the number of such cases across the state in the last few months.
“The Chief Minister should immediately expel the minister from the Cabinet and strong action should be taken against the officials who are responsible for the offence,” the BJP leader demanded.
Not one to let go of a chance to attack the government, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said it was a very unfortunate and insensitive lapse.
“It is very unfortunate and insensitive. The government did it once in the past and now has repeated itself. It should ensure at least now that such things do not happen again,” Mishra said.
The BJD admitted to its goof-up. “It should not have happened. The names of the victims and their addresses had crept into the minister’s written reply by mistake,” said BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satpathy.
Provisions of Section 228 (A) of IPC, which was amended, prohibits mentioning of the names or disclosure of the victims’ identities in rape-related offences. Punishment will entail either imprisonment for up to two years, and penalty or in some cases even both.
In March 2013, then Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had apologised for naming a rape victim in the Rajya Sabha, which led to wide outrage.
