Bhubaneswar: Noting that a disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha, Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik Tuesday said the state’s BJP government must act immediately to restore trust in the system.
Deeply saddened over Tuesday’s news about rape in Jajpur, gangrapes in Jagatsinghpur and Malkangiri and sexual assault in Puri, Patnaik said, “these incidents horrify all of us”.
“A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha. Both in cities and villages, the streets have become increasingly unsafe for women– in broad daylight and night,” the BJD president said in a post on X.
Noting that a young student heading to school or college or returning from tutorial classes cannot be sure of her safety, Odisha’s former five-time chief minister said that danger now lurks in everyday, normal places. “This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens — and women and girls pay the price first,” he said.
Adding to this concern, Patnaik noted that the US Government last month issued a Level 2 travel advisory that listed Odisha among six Indian states where American employees must seek special approval to travel beyond capital cities.
While the state has seen a decline in Maoist activity and there is minimal terrorism, this inclusion likely reflects concerns over rising crimes against women, he said.
Patnaik also pointed out that the July 17 directive by Ravenshaw University in Cuttack banned women from staying on campus beyond 5:30 pm. This further exposed the crisis, he said, adding that though it was withdrawn after public outrage, the order revealed a mindset that seeks to restrict women instead of making public spaces safer for them. It punished women instead of targeting the real problem, he said.
“Without urgent and decisive police action and political will backing it, this problem will only grow. The political leadership must realise that allowing interference of local party leaders in police stations will only normalise violence across the state, especially gender-based violence,” Patnaik said.
Patnaik was the chief minister of Odisha from 2000 to 2024.
“The state BJP government must act immediately to restore safety and rebuild women’s trust in the system sworn to protect them,” Patnaik said, adding that the BJD will continue to raise its voice for the protection of mothers and sisters in every forum.
PTI
