Bhubaneswar: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi today vehemently condemned the alleged brutalization of a student by ten individuals in Gopalpur, Odisha, using her X (formerly Twitter) platform to highlight what she termed as a disturbing rise in violence against women in the state.
“Even harsh words are not enough to condemn the way ten people brutalized a student in Gopalpur, Odisha,” Smt.Gandhi wrote, expressing outrage over the incident. She went on to link this specific act of violence to a broader concern about women’s safety in Odisha.
Smt.Gandhi underscored her criticism by referencing a statement attributed to the Chief Minister of Odisha, acknowledging that “nearly 44,000 women and children have disappeared in the last five years.” She asserted that in such a scenario, “not prioritizing women’s safety is also a cruelty to women.”
The incident in Gopalpur, which reportedly involved the alleged gangrape of a 20-year-old college student at Gopalpur beach, has sparked widespread condemnation and protests across Odisha. Police have since arrested all ten individuals, including four minors, in connection with the case.
The Congress party in Odisha has staged demonstrations, including a march towards the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding accountability and stronger measures for women’s safety. Leaders have pointed to the statistics on missing women and children as evidence of the state government’s alleged failure to ensure the security of its female population.
While Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has condemned the Gopalpur incident and assured strict action against the perpetrators, the opposition continues to press for a more comprehensive approach to address the underlying issues contributing to crimes against women in the state.
Recent data from the Odisha police, presented by the Law Minister, indicated a slight drop in reported crimes against women between June 2024 and February 2025 compared to the previous year, though the overall numbers of missing persons remain a significant concern.