The BJP has claimed that women are no longer “safe” in Jharkhand, and has questioned why Chief Minister Hemant Soren has stayed silent on the death of a Class 12 student who was reportedly set on fire by a man.
The saffron party officials, including Jharkhand state ministers Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi, asked that the perpetrator of the terrible act face a speedy trial.
However, the governing Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) accused the BJP leaders of attempting “communal politics” over the event, adding that the state government also demands harsh punishment.
Das, who also serves as the BJP’s national vice president, stated, “A woman was burned to death, yet the chief minister remains silent. Isn’t this appeasement politics?
We saw Nadeem (Ansari), an accused in the Ranchi violence, flown to Delhi in an air ambulance for better treatment at the expense of the government, but the 19-year-old woman with burn injuries was not adequately cared for.”
On June 10, Ranchi was rocked by violent riots in response to suspended BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma’s incendiary statements about Prophet Mohammad.
Das asked that the government pay Rs one crore in compensation and provide a job to the woman’s next of kin after she died from burn injuries at a hospital here on Sunday.
The incident occurred on August 23 in Dumka town when the culprit, named as Shahrukh, reportedly poured petrol on the woman while she was sleeping from outside the window of her chamber and lit her on fire, according to police.
The deceased was initially brought to Dumka’s Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in serious condition with 90% burns before being sent to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for further treatment.
“The terrible crime in Dumka demonstrates that women are not safe in Jharkhand under the Hemant Soren government. Over 5,000 rape incidents have been reported in the state in the last 32 months “Deepak Prakash, state BJP president, made the claim on Sunday at the party Prasikshan Shivir in Madhuban, Giridih district.
According to the Rajya Sabha MP, “when the woman was burned to death, the chief minister was having a picnic.”
He believes the offenders should be given exemplary punishment in a speedy trial.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi claimed the woman died as a result of “a lack of sufficient treatment.”
In response to the sentiments of BJP leaders, JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya stated, “The Dumka incident was abhorrent. The BJP should avoid playing communal politics over it. The government also desires retribution through a speedy trial.”
Ace Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri also commented on the incident sharing a video of the last words of Ankita and said “We failed you, Om Shanti”
On Sunday, a prohibition order was imposed in the Dumka sub-division in response to demonstrations by some right-wing organisations following the murder of the woman.
Activists from the Viswa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal held a protest at Dudhani Chowk in Dumka town.
Read more: Jharkhand: Woman set on fire dies, Sec 144 imposed in Dumka
