By Shreya Maskara
Congress and BJP are steaming ahead with rhetoric as the Karnataka Assembly polls become closer. While Congress has criticised BJP’s Karnataka manifesto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointed out the inability of Congress to protect the poor in the state. 15 persons involved with the alleged gang rape and subsequent murder of a girl in Jharkhand have been arrested. Meanwhile, the child development ministry is pushing to include male child victims of sexual abuse in the POCSO Act.
Karnataka election 2018: update
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to an election rally on May 5, said he thinks Congress and the JD have entered into a “secret” pact for the assembly polls in Karnataka. Modi added that while Congress continues to talk about poverty reduction as a vote garnering tactic, they continue to ignore the needs of farmers and the poor.
“If anyone can change the government in Karnataka, it is the BJP. If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S). The Congress and JD(S) have a secret understanding, an understanding behind the curtains, said Modi.
Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, took to Twitter to announce that he thinks BJP’s Karnataka Manifesto is a “poorly crafted fantasy built around a weak plot” and urged voters to not waste their time on it.
15 arrested for the rape of a woman in Jharkhand
15 of the 18 accused have been arrested for the alleged gang rape and killing of a woman in Chatra district in Jharkhand on Friday. Deputy Commissioner of Chatra Jitendra Kumar Singh said the 18-year-old woman was burnt alive by the accused after being raped. Chief Minister Raghubar Das said the incident was “barbaric” and urged officials to take strict action against the perpetrators of the crime.
According to media reports, the main accused Dhanu Bhuiyan, abducted the victim, a Class 8 student, while she was at a wedding at her cousin’s house. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been invoked against them. Policemen have been deployed in the village and the victims family has been accorded protection, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Shambhu Thakur.
Amendment in POCSO act for male child sex abuse victims to become official
Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Srivastava said the ministry is working on amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act to provide for male child sex abuse victims. Woman and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said child sexual abuse is gender neutral and male child sexual abuse is grossly ignored in India.
“Boys who are sexually abused as children spend a lifetime of silence because of the stigma and shame attached to male survivors speaking out,” she said. “It is a serious problem and needs to be addressed,”