Cutting across party lines, leaders condemn Mumbai gang rape; Patil complete failure, says Raj Thackeray

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New Delhi: Cutting across political lines, leaders on Friday expressed anguish over the gang rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray demanded Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil's resignation, alleging that the NCP leader had proved to be a 'complete failure' as Home Minister. 
Condemning the incident, Union communications and information technology minister Kapil Sibal said outside the Parliament, "We cannot afford to let our women and children live in insecurity and must make sure that such attacks against women are dealt in the severest manner."
Calling the incident an unfortunate one, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said, "A new legislation was proposed in the Parliament few days after after the December 23 gang rape in Delhi. I hope the legislation will now be implemented in this case."
BJP leader Najma Heptullah also condemned the incident and said there is no law and order in the country. "There is no fear of law in the minds of people because they don't get punished after committing such crimes. They get away with it," she said.
BSP supremo Mayawati said the Centre and state governments should take stern steps to prevent such crimes in the country. "Unless Centre and the state governments take some concrete steps, it will be difficult to stop these kinds of incidents.
"Social and even religious organisations should also come forward to make people join the awareness campaign. Efforts should be from all sides to curb such incidents," she said.
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP and party spokesperson blamed the Maharashtra state government for its lackadaisical attitude. "Such a big incident of gang rape has happened in Mumbai. What is the government doing? What is the home department, police force, intelligence and vigilance department doing? Law and order in Mumbai, Pune and Maharashtra is in shambles. Women and even school girls are not safe anymore," he said.
Congress MP Priya Dutt reacting to the incident said, "It is extremely shocking. Mumbai is the city we have grown up in and never felt insecure...but definitely, there has been a change in circumstances."
Citing details of the National Crime Record Bureau, Irani said 2.84 cases of rape are happening every hour and only 33 per cent of complaints are converted into FIRs. As soon as she regretted that 'unfortunately the nation's capital Delhi has become a rape capital', the issue saw verbal clash between the treasury benches and BJP.
Vijaylaxmi Sadho (Cong) retorted saying the crime scene in Madhya Pradesh was very bad and "Madhya Pradesh is number one as far as atrocities on women are concerned".
This was strongly objected by BJP and resulted in a verbal spat between BJP and Congress for about 10 minutes.
Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Cong) said, "The matter should not be made a subject of politics. You are concerned about Maharashtra but not MP. Maximum incidents of rape are happening in MP. The issue of rape should not be politicised though we agree with basic spirit of the issue you are raising."
Amid the din, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said, "Please don't bring in politics in such heinous crimes. This incident has happened in a particular state. If any member has a complain about any other state, member should give notice."
Kurien also requested "the Minister of State for Home to take note of the serious incident and come back to the House."
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley also sought to know if the Minister had any information about the Mumbai case to share with members.
A photo journalist, who was working as an intern with an English magazine was gang raped allegedly by five men yesterday near Shakti Mills in Lower Parel area Mumbai in a chilling reminder of the December gang rape in Delhi. 
Next: Opposition seeks Patil's resignation over gang rape
 

Opposition seeks Patil's resignation over gang rape 
Mumbai: Blaming Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Opposition on Friday demanded his resignation in the wake of the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old photojournalist here.
"If you can't improve the law and order situation in Mumbai, you must resign," BJP state unit president Devendra Fadnavis said.
"Mumbai is no longer a safe city it used to be but has become rape city," the BJP leader said. Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe said the government had failed to maintain law and order in the state. NCP leader Vidya Chavan said the culprits should be nabbed and given stringent punishment.
Meanwhile, Patil who visited the Jaslok hospital where the woman is undergoing treatment, expressed confidence that the culprits would be nabbed soon.
"We have taken the incident very seriously. No one will be allowed to spoil the law and order situation," he said. The government accords top priority for ensuring that women are safe, he added.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray also demanded Patil's resignation, alleging that the NCP leader had proved to be a 'complete failure' as Home Minister.
"Patil is not competent enough to handle the Home portfolio efficiently. With such a person at the helm, the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated," Raj told reporters at Dadar in central Mumbai Friday afternoon. Patil is a courier of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Raj said.
"Patil has nothing to do with the home department," he said. "He has been kept on the post only to feed information to Pawar in Delhi about what is happening in Maharashtra," the MNS chief alleged.
Condemning the gang rape, the MNS chief said women should come forward to present a garland of bangles to Patil.
Meanwhile, women activists of Shiv Sena staged a protest outside a police station in south Mumbai, to condemn the gang rape and demand stringent punishment to the culprits. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, speaking to reporters in Aurangabad, said it was not proper for the opposition parties to demand Patil's resignation. 
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said police should nab all the gang rape accused and parade them. "The incident brings shame to Mumbai and humanity," he said.
"The gang rape is indicative of the total collapse of the law and order situation in the state," Uddhav said. "This is the time to stand firmly behind police and not the time to indulge in a political slaging match," he said.