Ashok Gehlot said those accused of gang-raping a minor in Jodhpur were ABVP workers.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has broken his silence on the law and order issue in his state, the BJP's staple target every time the Manipur issue is raised. The Chief Minister has responded with Central government's own data. Quoting figures from the National Crimes Record Bureau, he said the highest number of rapes takes place in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. Going by per lakh population, Assam, "Delhi with UT Police" and Haryana top the list in crimes against women.
In the long data-driven tweet, Mr Gehlot slammed the BJP, saying the party would find the truth "bitter".
"BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh is at the forefront of the country in murder, crimes against women and kidnapping. For rape of minors, that is under the POCSO Act, Madhya Pradesh ranks first in the country while Rajasthan ranks 12th," read a rough translation of his Hindi tweet.
"In comparison to 2019 in the NCRB report, crimes against women have decreased in Rajasthan in 2021 while crimes increased in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh," he added.
He also said police investigations show those accused of gang-raping a minor in Jodhpur in front of her boyfriend, were ABVP workers.
Women in Rajasthan have a full hearing and the police take strict action against crimes, the Chief Minister wrote.
"Only to divert attention from the failures of Manipur and BJP-ruled states, BJP leaders at the Centre and the state are making false allegations to defame Rajasthan. Rajasthan will not tolerate this defamation attempt and the people of the state will respond when the time comes for BJP's ill-advised attempt to defame and humiliate Rajasthanis," he went on to add.
Since a video of two women being paraded naked in Manipur went viral and the sexual atrocities in the conflict-hit state came into focus, the BJP has been pointing at crimes in Opposition-ruled states, including Bengal and Rajasthan.
"In Rajasthan, 33,000 rape cases have been reported. The Congress only sees rape in Manipur. Why is Sonia Gandhi silent against atrocities happening in Rajasthan?" Union minister Anurag Thakur has said.
Similar statements have been made by other BJP leaders. The Rajasthan BJP is already planning a campaign crafted around law and order in the state for the assembly elections due by year-end.
The party's argument has been slammed by the Supreme Court, which took up the Manipur women's video issue suo motu.
At a hearing yesterday, responding to a lawyer who spoke about crimes against women in Bengal, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, "You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of the country like Manipur on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too... Are you saying protect all daughters of India or don't protect anyone?"