Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 7 May: Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Ganesh Godiyal has termed the gang rape of a 16-year-old minor girl at gunpoint in Champawat on 5 May 2026 as an incident that has shamed humanity and tarnished the dignity of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. In a statement issued today, through Congress spokesperson Pratima Singh, Godiyal claimed that this heinous crime exposes the deteriorating law and order in the state, the rising crimes against women, and the failure of the BJP government in ensuring women’s safety. He alleged that the involvement of former BJP mandal vice president Puran Singh Rawat in the incident, coupled with the recurring appearance of ruling party leaders’ names in cases of rape and crimes against women, has unmasked the false pretence of Nari Shakti Vandan and Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaigns. He further claimed that pressure is being exerted on the police to cover up the case due to the involvement of ruling party leaders.
Godiyal stated that, over the past decade, Uttarakhand has witnessed a surge in heinous crimes such as rape and murder of women and minors, with gang rape incidents repeatedly shaming humanity and defiling the sanctity of Devbhoomi. He also claimed that among the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand now ranks first in crimes against women, yet the Dhami government and BJP, which boast of Nari Shakti Vandan, have become protectors of perpetrators rather than curbing such crimes.
Godiyal asserted that, whether it was the Ankita Bhandari murder case involving BJP leaders in VIP roles, the case of BJP leader’s son Pulkit Arya, the Haridwar incident where BJP Mahila Morcha office bearer Anamika Sharma was linked to gang rape of her minor daughter, the Dwarahat case of rape of a Dalit minor girl involving BJP leader Pramod Bisht, the Rudrapur case of rape of a minor student involving BJP leader Narendra Gangwar, the Bahadrabad case of rape and murder of a Dalit girl involving BJP leader Amit Saini, the Lalkuan case of rape of a minor involving BJP leader and Nainital Dugdh Utpadak Sahkari Sangh president Mukesh Bora, the Almora case of molestation of a 14-year-old minor involving BJP mandal president Bhagwat Singh Bora, or the Rudrapur case of molestation of a minor girl and her mother involving BJP councillor Shiv Kumar Gangwar, and now the Champawat gang rape involving former BJP mandal vice president Puran Singh Rawat, all these incidents reflect that in the eyes of ruling party leaders, women are treated merely as objects of exploitation and that slogans like Nari Shakti Vandan and Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao are nothing but electoral gimmicks.
Pratima Singh also informed the media that in protest against the Champawat incident, demonstrations and effigy burning of the BJP government will be held across district and metropolitan headquarters on 8 May as directed by Ganesh Godiyal. She added that under his leadership, a major movement will soon be launched in defence of women’s dignity in the state.
