'Instead of Beti Bachao...': Congress president Kharge criticises PM Modi government on women safety norms

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday slammed the Modi government for lacking in ensuring women's safety and said instead of 'Beti Bachao', we need to ensure equal rights for our daughters.

Kharge lambasted the government and questioned whether the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee and provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace were fully implemented or not.

Taking it to a social media post on X, Kharge wrote, "Any injustice done to our women is intolerable, painful and highly condemnable. We need to ensure 'Equal Rights for our Daughters', not 'Beti Bachao'. Women do not need protection, they need safety. Every hour 43 crimes against women are recorded in the country. Every day 22 crimes are registered against the women and children of the most vulnerable Dalit-tribal class of our country. There are countless crimes that are not even registered - due to fear, intimidation and social reasons."

हमारी महिलाओं के साथ हुआ कोई भी अन्याय असहनीय है, पीड़ादायक है और घोर निंदनीय है।

हमें ‘बेटी बचाओ’ नहीं ‘बेटी को बराबरी का हक़ सुनिश्चित करो’ चाहिए।

महिलाओं को संरक्षण (protection) नहीं, भयमुक्त वातावरण (safety) चाहिए।

देश में हर घंटे महिलाओं के ख़िलाफ़ 43 अपराध रिकॉर्ड…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 29, 2024

Kharge further advocated for serious reforms to ensure women's safety in every sphere of society whether it was about adding a "Gender Sensitisation Curriculum" or "Gender Budgeting" or providing basic facilities like street lights and public women's washrooms.

"The Constitution has given equal status to women. Crimes against women are a serious issue. Stopping these crimes is a big challenge for the country. We all have to unite and find solutions to this by taking every section of society along. Be it Gender Sensitisation Curriculum or Gender Budgeting, Women's Call Centres or basic facilities like Street Lights and Women's Washrooms in our cities, or our Police Reforms or Judicial Reforms - now the time has come for us to take every step that can ensure a fear-free environment for women," the Congress President said in his post on X.

Hitting out at the Modi government, Kharge said that they haven't taken any effective and preventive measures to ensure women's safety and the legal system won't become efficient just by painting walls about social change and "Beti Bachao".

The post added, "Prime Minister Modi has talked about women's safety several times in his speeches at the Red Fort, but his government has not done anything concrete in the last 10 years that could prevent crimes against women. On the contrary, his party has also assassinated the victim's character several times, which is shameful. Will painting "Beti Bachao" on every wall bring about social change or will governments and the legal system become more efficient? Are we able to take preventive measures? Has our criminal justice system improved? Are the oppressed and deprived sections of society now able to live in a safe environment?"

Congress President further alleged that many times, the government and administration have tried to hide crimes by forcibly performing the last rites of the victims.

"Has the government and administration not tried to hide the crime? Has the police forcibly stopped the last rites of the victims so that the truth does not come out?" Kharge mentioned in a tweet.

"We have to think that when the Nirbhaya incident happened in Delhi in 2012, the recommendations of Justice Verma Committee were implemented. Are we able to fully implement those recommendations today? Are the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, passed in 2013, being followed properly, thereby creating a fearful environment for our women at the workplace?" Kharge added.

The Congress President's remarks come in the wake of the murder and alleged sexual assault of a female trainee doctor on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital which caused national outrage and many rallies have been held in different states of the country. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)