Political Blame Game Erupts Over Rising Crimes Against Women in India

On Friday, the Congress and the BJP traded jabs over crimes against women in the states they both control. In doing so, they highlighted how Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to keep his pledge to protect women, which was encapsulated in his 2014 campaign slogan, "Bahut hua naari par war/Abki baar Modi Sarkar."

While the Congress expressed indignation that a young girl who had been raped and was bleeding had to walk door to door in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh asking for assistance, the BJP brought up the killings of women in the states of Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Trinamul-ruled Bengal.

Modi, whose 2014 campaign slogan promised to make women safe under his rule, was busy thanking the Indian women who had won medals at the Asian Games while the slanging match highlighted the surge in crimes against women across the nation.

He claimed that the dedication, concentrated training, and unflinching determination of Indian women were the reasons they were winning medals.

But when female wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who achieved success at the international level with a similar dedication and tenacity, squatted on a Delhi street for weeks alleging sexual harassment of wrestlers by their federation chairman, a BJP lawmaker, Modi remained silent.

The Prime Minister has come under heavy fire for his propensity to remain silent following heinous murders against women, from Uttar Pradesh to Manipur, despite the fact that one of his favorite mantras is "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" (rescue and educate the girl child).

Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson for the Congress, questioned Modi's qualifications to speak about the empowerment of women on Friday, citing how he had disregarded horrific atrocities against women in places where the BJP was in control.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, documented offenses against women increased by 87% between 2011 and 2021.

Shrinate lamented the BJP's "my rape versus your rape" debate after hearing about the procession of naked women in Manipur.

Although the general opinion in the nation was that the atrocities in Manipur could not be equated to the crime scenario in other states, the BJP had responded to the national indignation with whataboutery about Rajasthan.

"Raping and killing women is not a political issue. It is a problem for society and culture. According to Shrinate, the issue arises when the police, the government, and the politicians exhibit insensitivity and recklessness.

"Compared to the national average of 28%, the conviction rate in Rajasthan is 46%. In every case in Rajasthan, culprits have been swiftly dealt with. There is no attempt to conceal information or dismiss the cases.

"The Ujjain case demonstrates police and administrative failure," Shrinate continued. The idea that the girl was mentally unstable and from Uttar Pradesh was attempted to be spread. Because Madhya Pradesh is holding elections, it was kept a secret that she belonged to Satna.

"At first, the Satna police declined to file a FIR and instructed the parents to conduct their own search for the girl. The incident might have been prevented if a hunt had been started and CCTV footage had been reviewed.

The girl traveled 700 kilometers by herself to get to Ujjain from Satna, where she had been gang-raped.

The girl, whose clothes were torn and who was oozing blood, knocked on doors pleading for assistance. Newspapers published articles about the incident. The girl's grandfather approached the police after recognizing the image. Then, an effort was made to conceal her Dalit heritage. Despite wearing her school uniform and providing accurate information about her family, the girl was labeled a mentally unfit beggar.

A delegation from the Congress visited the girl in the hospital, she continued. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the chief minister, hasn't gone to see her, though. She hasn't been seen by Kailash Vijayavargiya, who just lives a short distance from the hospital. Smriti Irani, the Union's minister for women and children's development, Amit Shah, and Modi have not responded. How are these individuals able to talk about women being empowered?