Tarun Gogoi slams Narendra Modi for silence over rape case against Minister

Tarun Gogoi

Former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his silence over the rape case against Union Minister Rajen Gohain.

"The Prime Minister talks about 'Beti bachao'. However, we need to save our daughters from BJP leaders. How can the railway passengers feel safe when the Minister of State for Railways (Gohain) is involved in rape," Gogoi told the media.

"A case stands registered against the Minister but Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are silent over the issue," Gogoi said, adding that crime against women had increased across the state during the two-year BJP rule in Assam.

"There should be a thorough inquiry into the rape charge but unfortunately the Assam Police is also silent. Why does the Minister not deny that the voice on an audio clipping of a phone call is not his," Gogoi tweeted on Tuesday.

A woman from Nagaon district had on August 2 lodged an FIR against Gohain for allegedly raping her and her sister on the pretext of providing them jobs.

The woman had later submitted a letter to police that she wanted to withdraw her complaint. The case against Gohain was however registered.

An audio recording had later gone viral on Whatsapp, wherein the Minister reportedly threatened her husband with dire consequences.

Lok Sabha MP from Silchar and All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Deb also slammed the Minister.

"How can he continue as the Union Minister? He (Gohain) must resign till the inquiry is over. The audio clipping also makes it clear that he has misused his powers to silence the complainant and her family," Deb said while appealing to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take action as the state Home Minister in the matter.

Deb also warned of a statewide agitation against Gohain if the victims were not given justice.

"For now, we are not undertaking any major protest since work related to the National Register of Citizens is on and Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed. However, if no action is taken against Gohain, we will launch a mass agitation," the Congress leader added.

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