AAP's Atishi Calls Out Home Minister For Ignoring Women's Safety

While the whole country is up in arms once again after the brutal gang rape and murder of a woman in Hyderabad, Atishi Marlena spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party held a press conference today (December 2) to address the matter of women's safety in the national capital. She expressed worry over more than 2000 rapes reported in Delhi in 2019 alone. Atishi counted several cases of reported rapes happening over a span of a few months with women and young girls in various parts of Delhi including a case that happened inside a police station as well.

“It is very shameful for the citizens of Delhi that when women are progressing all over the world and here we cannot even provide Delhi women with basic safety,” said Atishi adding that the initiatives taken by the Arvind Kejriwal government like CCTV cameras, street lights, bus marshals etc. have helped in making women feel safer in Delhi.

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She stated that 1,40,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in the city and tenders are in process to install another 1,50,000 CCTV cameras. Additionally, she also informed that the Delhi Commission for Womendealt with 52,000 in the last five years, which is 700 per cent more than its predecessor among other initiatives, which also handled cases of crimes against women.

“Not just as a spokesperson of AAP but also as a female citizen of Delhi, I want to remind the central government and Home Minister Amit Shah that the Delhi Police is answerable to you. What has the Delhi Police and home minister Amit Shah has done to ensure the safety and security of Delhi women?”

“f we see the condition of Delhi Police today then there are over 52,000 posts vacant in Delhi police alone. What are the steps taken in the last six months since the elections to fill up the posts vacant in the police force? Secondly, there is at least 40-50 per cent shortage of PCR vans in Delhi. If a woman even gives a distress call on 100 number in Delhi, police fail to reach them on time because of shortage. What are the steps taken by Shah to get more PCR vans in Delhi Police?” questioned Atishi.

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"It is very shameful for the citizens of Delhi that when women are progressing all over the world and here we cannot even provide Delhi women with basic safety"

She also raised questions on why no women's police station was opened in Delhi in the last six months. “Women are scared of approaching the police station if a crime has happened to them because of how apathetically they are treated inside the police station. How many women's police stations have you opened after becoming the union home minister?” Atishi asks Shah.

She concluded her talk by saying that since Shah became home minister, women's condition in Delhi in terms of safety has depleted and that he is an “unsuccessful politician and a failed home minister” who has “failed the women of Delhi.”