New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urging them to suspend the day's parliamentary business to discuss the issue of women's safety on the 10th anniversary of the Nirbhaya gangrape incident.
In the letter, she drew attention to crimes against women writing, “10 years have passed since the gruesome incident, and crimes against women and girls are only increasing in the country”.
She mentioned that six rapes are reported in the national capital every day. "Every day, there are 6 rapes reported in the National Capital itself. An 8-month-old baby and a 90-year-old woman have also been raped in Delhi!”
She wrote about the acid attack that occurred this week, “Two days back, a 17-year-old girl was going to her school in Dwarka, Delhi when two bike riders threw acid over her. She has sustained major burns and is presently admitted to a hospital in serious condition. Even acid continues to be sold openly across the country in complete violation of the Supreme Court guidelines! Similar horrific cases are being reported from all parts of the country."
Maliwal said that crimes against women have reached an "epidemic proportion" and governments are failing to take steps to counter it.
"The problem of increasing crimes against women and girls has reached an epidemic proportion and governments are failing to take steps to counter it. Even the Nirbhaya Fund that was set up for providing relief and rehabilitation for women and girls has been reduced substantially," she said.
In view of this, Maliwal urged both houses to be suspended in order to discuss issues regarding rising crimes against women.
"The increasing crimes against women and girls in a matter of great concern and needs to be urgently acted against. I, therefore, request you to kindly suspend today's business and ensure that the matter regarding the rising crimes against women and girls is properly discussed in the House," she said in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), was sexually assaulted in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16, 2012. She died a fortnight later.
Six people, including a juvenile, were named as accused.
While the juvenile was released in 2015 after spending three years in a correctional home, four convicts were hanged on March 20, 2020. Ram Singh, the sixth accused, allegedly killed himself in Tihar Jail days after the trial began in the case.
(With Agency Inputs)