Congress expresses serious concern over Pushkar rape incident

New Delhi, April 19 (UNI) The Congress Party today strongly condemned the alleged rape of a Japanese tourist at Pushkar in Rajasthan, and asked the state government to take stern measures to ensure that the country's reputation was not affected internationally, that too at a time when there is a boom in tourism.

AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told mediapersons here today that the party viewed the incident, the third in the state in recent times, with a "serious concern." She said she was expecting a "more sensitive handling" of the rape incident at Pushkar, the only place with a temple to Brahma, as a woman Chief Minister was in power in Rajasthan.

"We are afraid that there is no security for women in Rajasthan, especially women tourists. This will be a case for great concern within the country and abroad," she said, while demanding that the Chief Minister and the Home Minister should take the incident with far greater seriousness and make all efforts to bring the culprits before law.

"This is necessary to see that the country's reputation does not suffer before the tourists visiting India." Asked why the Congress Party did not condemn similar incidents that had taken place in the states ruled by it, Ms Natarajan said they don't fix any political colour in incidents involving women.

"We raised the same demand wherever there is violence against women," she stressed.

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