Referring to the recent outrage by the country on the Rape assaults in Delhi has created an International media attention. With respect to the emotions of those protestors and in solidarity with the victim, I feel like asking a question regarding women's rights and safety?
Where did these protestors and national parties go to shame the governments of Haryana, TN, Maharashtra, AP, Orissa, West Bengal, Gujarat, UP to question the authorities over assaults, rapes, arson, murders, and violation of basic constitutional / human rights. None from the mainstream politics and society condemned the acts but the same Dalit pattern raised a voice to notice the crime.
It would have been appreciated if the same leader of opposition would have yelled on the on-going crisis of Dalit atrocities, especially Women violence. The emotional Jaya Bacchan would be heroic if she would have been reluctant to run the house unless the grievances of Dalits are addressed.
Now I feel outraged when these unknown figures drive the public attention to show their commitment towards women's rights. Sadly women's rights in India do not belong to the lower strata of society.
A rape charge is no bar for politicians: 260 MLAs and MPs contested polls while facing sexual assault charges
Political parties may have joined the entire nation in expressing outrage over the gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in the Capital, but they have never shied away from fielding in elections the candidates facing charges of crimes against women.
A report compiled by the National Election Watch (NEW) and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that about 260 candidates facing charges such as rape, assault and outraging the modesty of a woman contested assembly elections on tickets of various parties in the last five years.
The Congress was leading the 'shame-list' with 26 such candidates followed by the BJP (24), the BSP (18) and the Samajwadi Party (16), the report said.
In Maharashtra, 41 such candidates were given tickets, while 37 got tickets in Uttar Pradesh and 22 in West Bengal.
At least 27 candidates from the list were charged with rape and still managed to contest assembly elections, it stated.
"By giving tickets to candidates who have been charged with crimes against women especially rape, political parties have been in a way abetting to circumstances that lead to such events … but (they) vehemently condemn in Parliament," the organisations said, demanding that even the cases against such elected representatives be "fast tracked."
In a statement, they said: "Such people should be debarred from contesting elections and the political parties should be forced to disclose the criteria on which candidates are given tickets."
Sadly, according to the report, such candidates weren't just restricted to the state assemblies.
"In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, political parties gave tickets to six candidates who declared that they had been charged with rape," it stated.
In all, 34 candidates who contested 2009 elections declared that they had been charged with various crimes against women.
The NEW and ADR representatives said they had sourced the information from affidavits filed by the candidates with the election commission.
"Since they condemn such incidents in Parliament and outside, the least they can do is not give tickets to persons from such backgrounds," they said.
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Suraj
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