CPI(M)New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The CPI(M) has accused the BJP-ledcentral government of lacking the political will to deal withcrimes against women.
Reacting to the latest report of the National CrimesRecords Bureau, showing a steady increase in crimes againstwomen and an alarming rise in sexual assaults on children,former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said the"figures highlight the all-round failure to provide a safe andsecure environment for women and children, a promise made bythe BJP in its (2014) Lok Sabha election manifesto".
"The main issue is the lack of the political will to dealwith the crimes against women. The government and the lawenforcement agencies must accord priority to tackle the crimesagainst women and children," he has written in an editorial inthe upcoming edition of the party organ, "People's Democracy".
He has added that the Centre must implement the VermaCommittee recommendations to build a strong infrastructure toprevent the crimes against women and support the victims.
The Left leader has also criticised the Centre for "notutilising" the Nirbhaya Fund, which was was set up in 2015 tobuild an infrastructure and mechanisms to prevent crimesagainst women.
"The fund now has Rs 3,100 crore. The nodal agency forthis fund, the women and child development ministry, had saidin July that it had recommended projects worth Rs 2,209 crore.
But in a petition to the Supreme Court, the Centre hasadmitted that the actual allocations were just Rs 264 crore,in other words, just 8.5 per cent (of the fund).
"Apart from this, Rs 200 crore were allocated to thestates for victim-relief, making it a total of around Rs 400crore. However, there is no report on the utilisation of thesefunds," he has written in the editorial.
Karat has also held the "social approach" of thegovernment and the "dominant ideologies" of those in powerresponsible for the increase in the crimes against women.
He has also criticised the statements of politicalleaders, blaming the women for the violence against them, andcomments about their clothes, movements and friends and saidsuch remarks shame the victims and encourage the criminals.
The CPI(M) leader has stressed that the statements ofmembers of Parliament and state legislatures, blaming thewomen for the crimes against them, must not only be condemned,but those people must be held accountable for such statementsby the legislatures concerned.
He has also emphasised that there has to be strictimplementation of the laws against sexual harassment. PTI CSNRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.