Former Delhi Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Friday, 3 May 2019, said the Nirbhaya case was blown out of proportion and that her government had no role to play (in ensuring safety of women) as the “Law and Order was under the purview of the Central government” at the time the tragic incident took place.
Speaking to Mirror Now's executive editor Faye D'Souza, the senior Congress leader said the “there are so many cases like that (Nirbhaya rape case) taking place today.. it’s just that a small thing comes in the paper..”
Reacting to D'Souza’s suggestions on ensuring women safety that included proper street lighting and CCTV installations, the former Delhi CM said it was not the responsibility of her government as the "Delhi police comes under the central government”.
A 23-year-old paramedic student (named Nirbhaya by the media) was gang-raped and brutally assaulted by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi on 16 December 2012. The incident had sparked nationwide outrage and protests. Sheila Dikshit was the Chief Minister of Delhi at that time.
Passing the buck to the Centre, Dikshit said: “The (Delhi) police is the responsibility of the central government.. who is going to be posted where is the responsibility of the central government,” and asserted that there was nothing that her government could have possibly done to curb such incidents from happening.
Interestingly, the incident took place at the time when the Congress-led UPA government was at the Centre.
Asked if the Delhi government had no role to play in ensuring safety of women in the capital, Dikshit responded in negative, while also underling that her statement goes as far as the Delhi police is concerned.
“No, not at all, Dikshit said, adding "not where the police is concerned."
81-Year-old Dikshit is involved in a keen contest in the North East Delhi seat against Delhi BJP chief and sitting MP Manoj Tiwari and AAP candidate Dilip Pandey. She is also the head of the Congress party's campaign in New Delhi.
Asked if she had any solutions to offer so as to ensure women safety in the national capital, the Congress nominee from North East Delhi, said "I have no solutions for things which are not under my purview.”
“The solution lies with the Government of India and the Parliament of India. They have to do it,” she said, adding “If I go to Parliament, I will speak about it.. I will mention it, because then I will be representing Delhi.”
Dikshit successfully led the Congress in the 1998, 2003 and 2008 Assembly polls, but the party suffered a rout in the 2013 elections under her.
‘Sheila Ought to Have Shown More Empathy and Responsibility’
Condemning Dikshit’s remarks, Equal Rights Activist Harish Iyer who joined the Congress recently, said “I regret that rape survivors have to hear this,” adding that “Sheila ought to have shown more empathy and responsibility”.
“Needless to say, I am shocked by the comments (made) by Sheila Dikshit. Party affiliation aside, in the spirit of democracy and free voice that Congress espouses, I strongly condemn Sheila Dikshit,” Iyer wrote in a tweet on Friday.
He urged Congress President Rahul Gandhi to take serious notice of Dikshit’s remarks.
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