LSR online classes over women safety sends clear message that women not safe in Delhi: Congress

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Congress leader Abhishek Dutt on Wednesday reacted to Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) shifting classes online following the alleged gang rape of a minor in Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park, saying the move sends a ‘big message’ about women’s safety in the national capital.

“When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi,” Dutt said.

The remarks came as Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes on Tuesday and shifted them to online mode for Wednesday following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at a park nearby, with the college administration stating that the safety of its students remained its top priority.

Speaking to IANS, Dutt said, “There is a big message for the country. LSR College is one of the top colleges in the world and its alumni are spread across the country. When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi.”

“Sadly, the people who raped the minor girl posed as police officers. The way several private individuals were seen carrying police batons at Jantar Mantar shows that the fear of the law has disappeared from the minds of criminals. Most Delhi Police officers are deployed for the security of VIPs, while the safety of ordinary people is being neglected,” he added.

Dutt also reacted to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s direction to create a dedicated ‘Pink Force’ for women’s safety, questioning the existing deployment of women personnel and policing infrastructure in Delhi.

“The LG makes political statements. First, the LG should tell us how many women personnel are there in the Delhi Police. How many metro stations are there in Delhi, and do they have adequate policing? There is a shortage of around 12,000 security personnel in the Delhi Police. At least 50 police personnel remain deployed at the LG’s residence. Merely making statements will not achieve anything,” he said.

“The LG should immediately review the security provided to all MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and BJP leaders in Delhi, where anywhere between two and 50 police personnel have been deployed with them. If the Delhi Home Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Delhi Chief Minister, MLAs and MPs are not safe, then expecting the safety of ordinary people is a distant prospect,” Dutt added.

On Tuesday, Sandhu directed the police to draw up a dedicated force on the lines of the Goa Police’s Pink Force, with women personnel deployed at identified hotspots, particularly during vulnerable hours.

The move came amid four separate cases of alleged rape or sexual assault involving minors reported across Delhi in about 10 days.

–IANS

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