Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the brutal rape of a woman on a footpath in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The incident, which was captured on video and widely shared on social media, sparked outrage and highlighted a growing concern for women’s safety in India.
Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed his deep disappointment over the heinous crime, stating, “The brutality against women in Ujjain and Siddharthnagar is a blot on humanity. The continuously increasing crimes against women and the attitude of the police administration towards the victim and her family is a proof of the cruelty of the system and is a matter of serious concern for the country.” He blamed the incident on a “propaganda-driven” government that he claimed has created an insensitive system that fails to protect women. He called for urgent action to address the issue, stating, “The time has come to make serious efforts towards the moral upliftment of the society for the safety of women – strict steps should be taken at every social, political and administrative level.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed similar concerns, expressing horror at the incident and questioning the state of society. “The incident of rape of a woman on the footpath in broad daylight in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh is extremely horrifying. Today the whole country is stunned as to where our society is heading? According to reports, people passing by were making videos instead of saving the woman. Humanity has been tarnished by such an incident on the holy land of Ujjain,” she wrote on X.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the Koyla Phatak area, one of the busiest in the city, has become a grim reminder of the ongoing struggle for women’s safety in India. The fact that the crime took place in broad daylight and that bystanders reportedly filmed the incident instead of intervening has further fueled public outrage and sparked a renewed call for systemic change to address the root causes of violence against women. The Gandhi family’s condemnation of the incident, along with their calls for stricter measures and moral upliftment, underscore the urgency of this issue and the need for a multi-pronged approach to ensure the safety and well-being of women in India.
