‘Law and order in BJP ruled states is non-existent’: Rahul Gandhi hits out after Army officers assaulted in Indore

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, condemned the attack on two Indian Army officers and the alleged sexual assault of their female friend in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. Condemning the attack, the senior Congress leader targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that the law and order in BJP-ruled states is almost non-existent.

In the reported incident, the two Army officers were thrashed, and one of their two female friends was gang-raped when they were out on a picnic in the Indore district. On Wednesday night, seven unidentified men attacked a pair of girls and held them hostage in a car at gunpoint.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi stated, “The violence against two army soldiers and the rape of their female companion in Madhya Pradesh is enough to shame the entire society." 

The post further reads, “Law and order in BJP ruled states is almost non-existent and, the negative attitude of BJP Government towards day by day increasing crimes against women is extremely worrying.”

He alleged the “failure of the administration" and an “unsafe environment” in the country as the reason behind the possibility of such a heinous crime. The unsafe environment prevailing in the country due to this is a restriction on the freedom and aspirations of the daughters of India. The Rae Bareli MP noted, "This audacity of the criminals is a result of the administration's total failure and the unsafe environment prevailing in the country due to this is a restriction on the freedom and aspirations of the daughters of India,” Gandhi added.

Indore Rural SP Hitika Vasal said that a case was registered under sections 70 (gangrape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion) and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under sections of the Arms Act. He further mentioned that personnel from four police stations fanned out and launched a manhunt to nab the assailants, who demanded a ransom of ₹10 lakh.

Hitika Vasal noted that six of the seven suspects have been identified and added, “We arrested two men. One of them has a case of loot registered against him in 2016,” reported The Indian Express.