Following their meeting with the family of the victim in the Belagavi incident, a fact-finding team consisting of BJP MPs, including five women, arrived in the city to investigate the alleged assault and public humiliation of a Dalit woman. One of the members of the fact-finding team, BJP MP Sunita Duggal, asserted that the accused in the crime had affiliations with the Congress party.
Days after the reported incident on December 11, where a Dalit woman was forcibly dragged from her residence, stripped, tied to a pole, and physically assaulted by the family of a girl with whom her son had eloped, the BJP delegation raised concerns about the delayed police proceedings. Sunita Duggal claimed that the accused, having a background in the Congress party, had connections with ministers in the region. She alleged that the police proceedings were influenced, and changes were made to the FIR sections only after Prime Minister Modi dispatched a delegation. Duggal expressed her apprehension, describing a prevailing atmosphere of fear in the region.
Another member of the fact-finding team, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, called on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to issue a statement addressing the situation. She emphasized the need for the Congress party to respect women and lamented that, under the Congress government, women in the region live in fear. Chatterjee highlighted the reluctance of individuals to provide statements, attributing it to the atmosphere of fear prevailing under the Congress government. She urged the Congress, which formed the government with women's votes, to show greater respect for women.
As of Saturday, at least 13 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, with authorities continuing the search for three additional suspects. The fact-finding team's visit and subsequent statements underscore the political dimension of the incident, with allegations of partisan influence on the police proceedings and a call for the Congress government to prioritize the safety and dignity of women in the region.
