Congress Highlights Disturbing Data on Missing Minors in Gujarat
In a concerning revelation during the Gujarat assembly session, the Congress party disclosed on Monday that a total of 553 minors reported missing from the state over the past two years have yet to be traced. This alarming statistic emerged as Congress MLAs pressed for detailed information during the question hour, shedding light on a critical issue of child safety and law enforcement accountability.
Government Figures Unveil Stark Reality
Providing a compilation of official government data, the Congress party presented figures that underscore the scale of the problem. According to their report, over the last two years, 67 women and 6,240 minors were reported missing from various districts across Gujarat. While all missing women have been accounted for as of December 31, 2025, the persistence of 553 untraced minors raises serious questions about the effectiveness of search and rescue operations.
Assembly Debate Sparks Tensions
The issue came to the forefront during question hour when discussions centered on missing women and children specifically in Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts. MoS Law and Justice Kaushik Vekariya addressed these queries, but Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar pushed for a broader debate, urging a discussion on missing persons across the entire state. In response, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi noted that such a statewide discussion fell outside the scope of the original question, though he expressed the government's willingness to engage if a separate, relevant question were formally raised before the assembly.
Implications for Child Protection Policies
This development highlights ongoing challenges in child protection and missing persons cases in Gujarat. The Congress party's insistence on transparency and action reflects growing public concern over the safety of minors. As the debate continues, stakeholders are calling for enhanced measures, including improved tracking systems and inter-agency coordination, to address these gaps and ensure the swift recovery of missing children.
