All India Mahila Congress president Alaka Lamba on Wednesday said that only Congress can ensure protection of women along with their empowerment.

Addressing a gathering of ‘Nari Nyay Sammelan’  by Tripura Mahila Congress at Agartala town hall in presence of all senior leaders of Tripura Pradesh Congress, Lamba said party leader Rahul Gandhi in his ‘Nyay Yatra’ continuously speaks on  ‘Nari Nyay’, ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay’.

Strongly castigating the ten years of rule of BJP government, Lamba said that day by day the incident of rape and gang rape are increasing in the country, but poor daughters including minors of the country are not getting justice due to government lapses.

She alleged that the role of women continues to reduce and their rights are being snatched away. She said If Congress voted to power, the Congress would ensure Women Reservation Bill, no women would be subjected to violence, equal rights of women in every sector, and education would be implemented.

She also said that atrocities on women have increased at an alarming rate. Women, minor girls are victims of heinous crimes like rape, gang rape and many more. In many cases the victim or her family are not even allowed to register a complaint with the police for protection of accused persons due to their allegiance with ruling BJP.

She urged the women across Tripura to join hands with Mahila Congress to protect their rights and to get justice against atrocities.

Alka Lamba said that BJP ruled Tripura is the second highest in the northeastern region in terms of crimes on women and announced that the grand old party would soon start “Nari Nyay Padyatra” in all districts of the country.The Mahila Congress chief said, “Nari Nyay Padyatra” is among the five major postulates on which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been holding the countrywide Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

BJP speaks about Beti Bachao but in reality, they are saving those who rape, molest and assault our daughters, she alleged and said : “I'm travelling across the country to unite women and build women. I have recently travelled to 22 states including Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.”

Citing examples of current and former BJP leaders, elected public representatives like Brijbhushan Singh, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Sandeep Singh Sahni, Ramdulari Gaur and others who were accused in cases of purported crimes on women, the former union minister said. She said that there is no word on women employment, empowerment and protection apparatus during the last ten years of BJP rule.

The Mahila Congress is holding a slew of awareness and sensitization programmes to unite women. Our objective will be to unite and strengthen the organisation and will hold “Nari Nyay Padyatra” in every district to reach the homes of people and extend our support for legal fights, the Congress leader said.

Citing a recent case at Kamalpur in Tripura’s Dhalai district, where a magistrate was accused of molestation and sexual harassment of a rape survivor who had purportedly gone to his chamber to record her statement, Lamba said.

“Rakshaks have turned into bhakshaks in Tripura. MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) figures say 165 rapes happened in 2020, 152 in 2021, 140 in 2022. Tripura is unsafe, rapes are increasing. None among 5 year old children to 80 year old women are safe here.”

She claimed nearly 400 women were raped in last two years across the country and demanded fast track courts, speedy disposal of pending cases and exemplary punishment for culprits.

“BJP's double engine governments in northeastern states have pathetic conditions for women, rapes, sexual harassment, inflation but the governments are failed to provide relief. A judge is involved in rapes here. The government is standing with rapists, providing them legal and financial relief.”

During the conference Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, Congress MLA and permanent invitee member of CWC Sudip Roy Barman, Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy and Birajit Sinha, Pradesh Mahila Congress president Sarbani Ghosh Chakraborty, leaders of other frontal organizations were also present in conference along with AICC in-charge for Tripura Girish Chodankar and AICC secretary Ms Szarita Laitphlang.