What use are schemes like Ladli Behna if girls are not safe, asks Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday condemned the sexual assault on a 12-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh and asserted that girls, women, Dalit people and tribal people are unsafe in the 20 years of the BJP's "misgovernance" in the state.

She also questioned the relevance of the 'Ladli Behna' scheme announced ahead of the state assembly elections, if girls are not safe.

In a post on X, she said, "The barbarity meted out to a small girl in Ujjain, the city of Lord Mahakal, is soul-shattering. After the torture, she kept wandering from door to door for help for two-and-a-half hours and then fell unconscious on the road but could not get help.

"Is this Madhya Pradesh's law and order and women's safety? Girls, women, tribals and Dalits are not safe in the 20 years of BJP's misgovernance. What is the use of making election announcements in the name of 'Laadli Behna' if girls can't even get safety and help?"

Her remarks came two days after a mentally-challenged minor girl was brutally sexually assaulted and faced people's apathy while seeking help in Ujjain.

In a viral video, the victim, who is seen bleeding and in a semi-naked state, is seen approaching a man for help, who shoos her away.

According to reports, she knocked on several doors while wandering the streets, but no one helped her.

She then reached an ashram, where a priest suspected it to be a case of sexual violence, covered her with a towel, and rushed her to the district hospital, where a medical examination confirmed rape.

After primary treatment, doctors referred her to Indore for surgery as her private parts were brutalised.

Reports also claimed that a policeman donated blood as she needed a blood transfusion urgently to survive, and her condition is now learned to be stable.

The incident has caused nationwide outrage and led the Congress to question the BJP-led state government's performance ahead of the high-octane assembly elections later this year.