The Congress Wednesday sought to defend the Haryana government over the spurt in rape cases in the state, saying steps were being taken to nab the guilty and provide relief to the victims.

Refuting allegations that the Congress-ruled state was not doing enough, party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said: "It (Haryana government) is seized of the matter...It is not sitting with hands tied."

Facing a volley of questions over the rising number of rape cases in the state, Chowdhury said she was not talking of a particular government but crime was rising and it was a challenge.

"This is an issue that is there in our society. Crime against women has risen -- not just in our country but all over the world. This is an issue that challenges all intelligent people. This is something that we need to collectively battle," she said.

The Congress leader said incidents of rape should not be sensationalised but dealt with sensitivity.

"A lot of social restraint is to be exercised. There are a number of families that will not come forward to complain because they are afraid of what happens to the girls socially afterwards. There are a lot of families that do not want to substantiate the evidence.

So there is work that is being done discreetly till you reassure the families. It is not a very simple black and white law and order issue only. It is a fairly complex system in evolving society. We need to handle it carefully," she said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had Tuesday met the family of a Dalit girl, who had committed suicide after being gangraped, in Narwana in Jind.

Gandhi called for severest punishment to the accused and justice to the victim's family.

Gandhi's visit to Narwana was seen in sections of the party as a snub to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government over its handling of rape cases of women from weaker sections.

Fifteen cases of rapes have been reported in Haryana in just a month.

Incidents of sexual assault have been reported from Jind, Hisar, Sonipat and Rohtak, Bhiwani, Yamunanagar, Panipat, Sonipat, Ambala, Karnal, Faridabad and Kaithal districts.