Guj Women's Congress to stage protest rally tomorrow

Ahmedabad, Feb 21 (UNI) The Gujarat Mahila Congress proposes to hold a protest rally here tomorrow to draw attention of the government to the ''deteriorating law and order situation in the state'' and other problems facing the people.

Mahila Congress chief Chandrika Chudasama, while speaking to reporters here today, claimed around 20000 women activists will participate in the rally which will culminate at the state secretariat.

There has been a growing incidence of children's kidnapping in the state, Ms Chudasama said while citing the example of a six-year-old girl who was kidnapped and raped in Rajkot recently.

During the last four years, there have been 7,323 cases of atrocities and kidnapping of women, 3000 children have gone missing, and 1200 rapes and 734 murders have been committed in the four cities of Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad, she said quoting a Home Ministry report.

With the advent of BJP rule in the state, women have become totally unsafe, she alleged.

Spiralling prices have badly hit the people, Ms Chudasama said while pointing out that prices of wheat, oil and pulses have risen sharply. ''An oil can is now available at Rs 1400,'' she said while alleging that the state government has done nothing to check the rising prices.

''Mr Narendra Modi speaks about Hindu dharma, yet 66 temples in the state were looted and 699 temples attacked in which seven 'mahants' and eleven 'sevaks' were killed,'' she said, adding that even the famous pilgrimage centre of Mahudi had faced a robbery attempt.

Ms Chudasama also flayed the prohibition relaxation and SEZ policies of the government, saying these policies will affect the women in the state. Foeticide cases too have been rising in the state and Gujarat ranks third among other states in this crime, she said.

UNI