Cong activists stage dharna, demand Modi govt to step down

Rajkot, May 17 (UNI) Congress activists today staged a dharna at Trikon Bagh here, demanding that the BJP Government in the state step down following the ''deteriorating law and order situation''.

The Congress sat on a dharna as, the party alleged, police failed to nab two main accused, who were involved in the ghastly incident of Sunday at Junagadh, when a teenaged girl was murdered and another gang-raped on Datar Mountain, while they were returning from the Upper Datar shrine.

City Congress President Jaswant Sinh Bhatti alleged that during the past two years, 161 rape cases were reported in Rajkot and Junagadh districts and police have failed to get the culprits convicted.

''There were 77 cases of rape in Junagadh district alone while 84 incidents were reported in Rajkot district, ''Mr Bhatti alleged.

Mr Bhatti said the Modi Government had no moral right to stay in power and should immediately step down from power as law and order situation in their regime had ''collapsed'' and girls were unsafe.

''The BJP are masters in propaganda. They gave a ''save girl child'' campaign and had organised ''Mahila Sammelan,'' but practically, no one could be safe in their regime, he said.

Prominent among others who sat on dharna were Congress MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya and GPCC Vice President Shanta Chavda.

The Congress will further intensify their agitation if Government failed to nab the culprits, Mr Bhatti added.

UNI