BHUBANESWAR: As the election to the three-tier panchayati raj institutions is drawing closure, the ruling BJD and the Opposition Congress are engaged in a slanging match accusing each other of having poor track record on atrocities on women. While the Congress accused the BJD Government of surpassing all previous records so far as women atrocities are concerned, in its counter attack the ruling party on Thursday recounted several incidents including the Ananjana Mishra rape case which proved costly for the then Congress Government. ‘The Congress and other Opposition parties are trying to cross the election river by using some gangrape cases as their main political issues. But the people of the State will defeat their evil design,’ said Biju Yuva Janata Dal president Sanjay Dasburma at a media conference here on Thursday. Recounting several incidents during the previous Congress regime, Dasburma said Chhabirani rape and murder case and the Anjana Mishra rape case are still fresh in the minds of the people. The Congress had to pay a heavy price for protecting the perpetrators of these crimes. The Congress is trying to defame Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on many issues from the start, but the people are not ready to accept them. This has been proved during the last three general elections to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha. The Chief Minister has gained immense popularity for providing a transparent and clean administration to the people. Besides, he had never given protection to any corrupt minister or officer. Alleging that the Congress is trying to politicise the Pipli and Chandanpur incidents for the panchayat elections, the BJD youth wing president said the Opposition party is indulging in a vilification campaign to divert the people from the success achieved by the Government. Dasburma, however, had a tough time when he was bombarded with questions from the mediapersons about his role in the Chandanpur alleged rape and murder case. He failed to explain as to why the police have not been able to arrest the culprits even after nine months of the incident. The Congress on Thursday said BJD and women atrocities are two side of a coin. Congress general secretary Arya Kumar Gyanendra in a press statement said atrocities on women and scheduled categories people and goondaism during the past 12 years of BJD rule have surpassed the number of cases reported during the 14 years governance by Congress.