BJP Leader Subramanian Swamy tried to justify his remarks by saying that RSS has always supported the women’s rights, and has never tried to exploit the situation for political gains. However, the matter took a new turn when he refused to comment on the killing of RSS worker Hema Malini in Bandstand. He said, “The lady is a killer… why should we comment on that? We support the lady and her work… we are not trying to trivialize the crime. It is a crime, nonetheless it is not a crime of violence against women.
“You cannot find a woman who has not been offended. Never will be. There is no place for violence against women. It is an attempt to dominate the mind of the victim. We condemn this crime and the attack on the woman. Whoever is behind this, we will get rid of them and punish this crime,” he added.
Earlier, the RSS mouthpiece ‘The Wire’ published a story about how a young woman was brutally murdered in a garment shop in Kharadi. The woman, identified as Subodhha Suryavanshi, was working in the store at the time and was attacked by the three unknown men. The killers had doused her in gasoline before killing her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. This raises questions about the safety of garment shops in the area. Many women have to pass through life-threatening situations every day to end up in death-seeking hands.
Trinamool has accused the government and central leadership of not standing united over the issue of crime. He has quoted former PM Indira Gandhi as saying, “A woman is undoubtedly an inferiority complex to a man. But a woman is also an equal. And the concept of motherhood is going out of the window.” He has blamed both of the governments for failing to stop the crime wave and increase the level of protection for women. He has demanded that the government should stop its political machinations and immediately focus on securing safety for women.
But what has been missing from the discussion, is why not talk about the menace of gang rape in India and how it affects the society as a whole. In all the major cities in India, especially in Delhi, the rate of crime against girls and women has been on the rise. There have been numerous incidences of eve-teasing, gang rape and even female infanticide. And there is absolutely no sense of discussing any problem when one does not have a clear solution. Why not make the government work for the safety of every woman in the country?
A decade ago, we were told of the increasing crime wave against women in the country and that the culprits should be punished swiftly. Today, the government concentrates more on fighting economic downturn and trying to pull the economy out of the hole. However, the menace of gang rape and other violent crimes against women should not be discussed in the Parliament at all. The prime minister must concentrate on development and increase the funds and facilities available to victims of such crimes.