Guwahati, Jan 18 (PTI) The Assam Mahila Congress on Monday expressed concern over the "alarming increase" of crime against women during the last few years under the present BJP government.
The state has reported "the highest rate of crime against women for the last three years consecutively" and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics reveal that it is constantly increasing, Assam Mahila Congress president and MLA Nandita Das told reporters here.
Incidents of registered violence against women were 20,869 in 2016, which increased to 23,082 in 2017 and to 27,728 in 2018, while in 2019, it again reported the highest crime rate "at 177.8 per lakh population", she said.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Bobbeeta Sharma highlighted incidents of rape and violence in the recent past, including the alleged rape and killing of a teenager and her aunt in Dibrugarh district.
The girl was sleeping with her aunt, who was killed, and the girl was dragged out of the house, raped and then killed by the miscreants, Sharma alleged.
"A house is considered to be the safest place but under this government, even the four walls are not safe for women in Assam," she said.
Sharma said the fact that such cases are increasing proves that the state government and its agencies have failed to instil fear among the perpetrators.
She added that the Congress in its manifesto for the forthcoming polls will include several measures for the protection of women, including a woman police battalion force and women cell in all police stations.