Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad assures action in Bangalore child rape; expresses surprise at such incidents occurring in South India

Asserting that the school in Bangalore where a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped was "equally guilty by trying to hide the crime", senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said the Karnataka government has assured him of strict action against the institute.

"I have been told by the Home Minister of Karnataka that he and the Chief Minister have already had a discussion and they are going to take a very strong action against the management (of the school)," Azad told reporters in Jammu on Saturday.

Azad, who along with Congress in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ambika Soni and JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz, took part in a two-day party conference in Jammu, said, "I spoke to the Home Minister of Karnataka last night about the incident because of my long association with the state. I was concerned about the situation." Azad said arresting the accused, however, will not be enough.

"I told that it won't be enough because the school management was equally guilty by hiding the crime. He has assured me that the CM has already directed him (Home Minister) for taking action in this matter," Azad said.

Stressing on the need for a change in the society to stop such crimes, Azad said, "The society as a whole needs to rise to the occasion and needs a great transformation." "It is most unfortunate that it is not a particular incident, but such types of incidents are reported from everywhere and may be there are more such cases which don't come before the media," he said.

"It shows that something has gone wrong in our society. The society as a whole has to fight against it," he added.

"It was least expected that such a thing would happen in southern states. Something has gone wrong in our society," he added.