Dalit girl case: Vasundhara Raje slams Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur: Hitting back at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for targeting her government over the case of the 17-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly raped and found dead under mysterious circumstances, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today questioned his party's track record of mitigating Dalit atrocities when it was in power in the state.

Addressing a public rally to mark Babasaheb Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary at Mundla village here, she said a prompt investigation was conducted in the case which occurred in Bikaner district.

"We ordered the police to probe the matter expeditiously and in a fair manner and all the accused have been arrested.

"If the girl's family members want, the case can be at once transferred to CBI," she said even as she questioned why the previous

Congress government in Rajasthan had not asked the central probe agency to investigate cases of alleged atrocities against Dalits.

"For 60 years, Congress has been using Dalits and other marginalised communities as vote banks," she claimed.

"That is the difference between BJP and Congress. Congress remembers Dalits only at the time of elections," she added.

The chief minister earlier attended an event organised by Ambedkar Welfare Society, Rajasthan, where she said her government would provide funds for the body to build of a conference hall. Rajasthan Higher Education Minister Kalicharan Saraf for his part offered Rs 10 lakh to the Society out of his MLA funds.

Gandhi had yesterday charged that efforts were being made to suppress the case of rape of the Dalit girl and said that CBI should probe the incident.

The minor girl's body was recovered on March 30 from a water bank on the premises of her college.

On the intervening night of March 28-29, she was found by her hostel warden in the room of the college's physical trainer, who was arrested and booked in the case under IPC section 376 (rape) and other relevant sections of SC, ST and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.