Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday expressed concern over an alarming rise in the number of rape cases in the country and said the governments need to pay attention. When asked for his comments on the encounter of four men accused of raping and murdering a 25-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad, he said it was for the police and the state government to tell that in what circumstances the killings took place.
"The rape cases are rising which is alarming. A rape victim was burnt yesterday by the rape accused. Such incidents shake the country and every government should pay attention towards it," Gehlot told reporters at an event here. He said when a six-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Rajasthan's Tonk district, the accused was held within 12 hours. The chief minister also expressed concern over the state of the economy.
Alleging that the central government was presenting incorrect figures, he said, "Every activity of the government is doubtful because they act in such a manner. The government did not let NSSO figures related to unemployment come out only because Lok Sabha elections were going on. It never happened in the past that a government concealed the figures of NSSO for political reasons."
Gehlot was referring to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)'s job survey according to which the unemployment rate stood at a four-decade high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18. "They returned to power on the basis of votes which they sought in the name of nationalism but how long will they be able to mislead public. People now understand the reality. They are losing states one by one. They lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and now Maharashtra and they would lose Jharkhand also," he said.
"The country is passing through a difficult phase. People are losing jobs, the economy is suffering, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Some rich industrialists are safe but others are not," he said. The chief minister said good governance is the objective of his dispensation and the officers who do not act for delivering good and sensible governance will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Gehlot said he recently took stock of the progress of various schemes and programmes during a meeting with district collectors.
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