Bhopal, Sep 12 (IANS): The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday expressed shock over the attack on Army officials and the alleged rape of a woman accompanying them in Madhya Pradesh.

He called the incident "shameful".

"The violence against two Army soldiers and the rape of their female companion in Madhya Pradesh is enough to shame the entire society," he wrote on social media platform X.

Rahul Gandhi also hit out at the BJP government, alleging that the law and order situation in almost every BJP-ruling state has deteriorated.

He said that the BJP's negative approach towards the safety of women has been worrying.

"The audacity of criminals is the result of failure of the administration, and the unsafe environment prevailing in the country is becoming a barrier for the women," the Congress leader added.

He also said, "Both the society and the government should be ashamed and think seriously -- how long will they turn a blind eye to the responsibility of protecting half the country's population!"

On Wednesday, two Army officials and their female friends went for a picnic near the Jam Gate in Indore's Mhow.

The spot is located around 50 km from Indore district headquarters and 25 km from Mhow.

The complaint said that the accused held four persons at gunpoint, took an officer and a woman hostage, and asked the other officer to pay a ransom of Rs 10 lakh.

This gave the officer and one of the women the chance to escape and inform their senior Army officers at Mhow.

However, by the time police teams reached the spot, the accused had fled from the spot.

As many as 10 teams of police personnel have been carrying out extensive search operations in the surrounding area of Jam Gate area where the incident occurred.

Police have arrested two suspects in the case and the questioning was underway, Additional Superintendent of Police, Rupesh Dwivedi, told the media.