Congress gets Haryana to fall in line on rapes
13 Oct 2012 7:56 AM IST
After receiving criticism for the worsening state of security for women in Haryana, the state government decided to take pro-active steps to address the issue on Friday, even as one of its state leaders embarrassed the government by making derogatory remarks against rape victims.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda directed the state bureaucracy to be more sensitive to the victims of such crimes. He said, 'The officers of the rank of inspector general and superintendent of police should be easily accessible to the public. Also, in case of any incident of crime, they should visit the affected persons without any delay.' Hooda asked deputy commissioners to increase police patrolling in sensitive areas to instil confidence among the people.
Sensing the public mood turning against its state government, the central leadership of the Congress too issued cautious statements against the rising crime graph. Speaking to Millennium Post, the Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, 'The only way to handle a rape case is that the perpetrators are convicted. The centre is not supposed to handle the situation. It is the state government which is supposed to enforce the law of the land.'
Earlier in the day, the centre asked the state government to set up a women's cell in every district for registering complaints and start anti-stalking helplines. The home ministry asked the Hooda government to give top priority to distress calls from women and investigate all crime against them after promptly registering FIRs. The union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that the centre had taken 'very serious' note of the series of rape cases in Haryana. 'The centre is in touch with the state government on the issue. This is a very serious matter, particularly concerning Dalit people,' Shinde told reporters.
Meanwhile, the Haryana social welfare minister Geeta Bhukkal made a controversial statement, saying, 'I believe that the way in which the statistics [on rapes] are being projected for Haryana, it is a conspiracy against the state. Such incidents are taking place not only in Haryana but also in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states. It is a matter of concern for all.' Earlier, the state Congress had issued a show cause notice to the party's leader in Hisar Dharambir Goyat for saying, 'In 90 per cent of the rape cases, the victims go out with consent.'
At the same time, the state government received a tough challenge from the all-powerful Sarva Khap Jat Panchayat on Friday. It demanded that the marriage age for girls be lowered to curb rising incidents of rape in the state. It has called a meeting in Sonipat, near Delhi, on Saturday to discuss the issue of resrevation for Jats in jobs, but it is also likely to take up the matter of lowering marriage age for girls in the state.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda directed the state bureaucracy to be more sensitive to the victims of such crimes. He said, 'The officers of the rank of inspector general and superintendent of police should be easily accessible to the public. Also, in case of any incident of crime, they should visit the affected persons without any delay.' Hooda asked deputy commissioners to increase police patrolling in sensitive areas to instil confidence among the people.
Sensing the public mood turning against its state government, the central leadership of the Congress too issued cautious statements against the rising crime graph. Speaking to Millennium Post, the Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, 'The only way to handle a rape case is that the perpetrators are convicted. The centre is not supposed to handle the situation. It is the state government which is supposed to enforce the law of the land.'
Earlier in the day, the centre asked the state government to set up a women's cell in every district for registering complaints and start anti-stalking helplines. The home ministry asked the Hooda government to give top priority to distress calls from women and investigate all crime against them after promptly registering FIRs. The union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that the centre had taken 'very serious' note of the series of rape cases in Haryana. 'The centre is in touch with the state government on the issue. This is a very serious matter, particularly concerning Dalit people,' Shinde told reporters.
Meanwhile, the Haryana social welfare minister Geeta Bhukkal made a controversial statement, saying, 'I believe that the way in which the statistics [on rapes] are being projected for Haryana, it is a conspiracy against the state. Such incidents are taking place not only in Haryana but also in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states. It is a matter of concern for all.' Earlier, the state Congress had issued a show cause notice to the party's leader in Hisar Dharambir Goyat for saying, 'In 90 per cent of the rape cases, the victims go out with consent.'
At the same time, the state government received a tough challenge from the all-powerful Sarva Khap Jat Panchayat on Friday. It demanded that the marriage age for girls be lowered to curb rising incidents of rape in the state. It has called a meeting in Sonipat, near Delhi, on Saturday to discuss the issue of resrevation for Jats in jobs, but it is also likely to take up the matter of lowering marriage age for girls in the state.
Next Story
