151 Indian Lawmakers Face Charges Of Crimes Against Women; 16 For Rape

A recent report revealed that at least 151 Members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies in India face cases of crimes against women, underscoring the systemic flaws in addressing and preventing such offences. As new cases of sexual violence emerge at a disturbing frequency, the nation is left questioning, "When will this end?". The gaps in the administrative handling of these horrific cases often erode our trust in the government and public servants. This stark reality forces us to confront the deeper issue --  how can we expect justice and reform when those in power are part of the problem? 

MPs And MLAs Charged With Gender-Based Crimes

The Association for Democratic Reforms recently released a report exposing hundreds of Indian lawmakers facing cases of crimes against women; 16 of these rape charges. West Bengal, where the recent rape-murder of an on-duty doctor in Kolkata shocked the country, has the most lawmakers (25) facing cases.

For the report, the poll rights body examined 4,693 out of 4,809 affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs submitted to the Election Commission of India during elections between 2019 and 2024. As many as 16 MPs and 135 MLAs face cases for crimes against women, underscoring the systemic flaws in addressing such offences. 

Following West Bengal is Andhra Pradesh, with 21 lawmakers facing charges. Next on the index is Odisha, which has 17 cases. Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of representatives (54 MPs and MLAs) with declared cases related to crimes against women.

The next political party with the most lawmakers facing charges is Congress with 23 lawmakers, followed by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17, according to the report. Both BJP and Congress have five incumbent lawmakers each facing charges of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Many of these lawmakers face charges of repeated offences against the same person. The Association for Democratic Reforms emphasised the need for political parties to refrain from giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds, especially those with charges of rape and other crimes against women.

The report called for the fast-tracking of court cases against MPs and MLAs, urging professional and thorough investigations by police. The organisation also appealed to voters to judiciously research candidates and avoid electing those facing such charges.