BJP associates named in rape, murder cases raise red flags in Gujarat
Updated: Sep 24th, 2024
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| BJP workers named in crime against women |
A series of disturbing events has raised questions about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to women’s safety in Gujarat. Several members and associates of the ruling party have been named in cases of sexual assault and other serious crimes against women and little girls.
As recently as September 22, a woman filed a case in Vadodara’s Nandesari Police Station accusing a BJP worker of raping and threatening to murder her.
That same day, police picked up Mehsana district BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Gaurav Chaudhary in relation to the rape of a minor in Patan’s Chanasma taluka. While the police arrested Bhuvo Shankar Chaudhary for the rape six months ago, the ongoing investigation revealed that the BJYM leader harboured the accused prior to his arrest.
Pictures of Govind Nat alongside former minister Arjunsinh Chauhan have been shared widely on social media since the former’s arrest. Nat, a Dahod school principal, stands accused of molesting and murdering a six-year-old in his car on September 20. In addition to the BJP, he is also well connected to members of the RSS and even the opposition, Congress, officials say.
Paresh Radadiya, a BJP worker and husband of sitting member of the Rajkot district panchayat Daksha Radadiya, surrendered on September 6. He had been absconding for 40 days after a 21-year-old filed a case naming him as one of the men who raped her while she was a student, in 2023. The surrender came only after a court rejected his plea for protection against being arrested.
These incidents stand in stark contrast to the BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao’ (Save the Daughter) campaign.
The lack of protests or demonstrations by the party in response to these allegations, especially given its vocal stand when it comes to similar crimes in other states, is also telling.
As these cases unfold, the BJP’s challenge will be to address the apparent disconnect between its public stance on women’s safety and the actions of some of its members and associates.
