Crime against women unpardonable: PM Narendra Modi
New Delhi, August 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday signalled zero tolerance towards crimes against women, terming them unpardonable and urging state governments to bring perpetrators to justice, irrespective of who they are.
“The safety and empowerment of women is a top priority of the nation. I understand the pain and anger of my sisters and daughters, irrespective of the states where atrocities against women have been committed. I will once again tell every state government that crimes against girls and women are unforgivable. The perpetrator, no matter who he is, should not be spared,” PM Modi said in the presence of Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as he addressed the “Lakhpati Didi Sammelan” in election-bound Maharashtra’s Jalgaon.
Their dignity priority
The Centre is with states in ensuring protection of girls and women; governments will come and go, but dignity of women should remain everyone’s top priority. — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
PM Modi’s remarks came in the wake of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter to him asking for a stringent central law, fast-track courts and trial within 15 days in cases of sexual assault against women. Mamata’s letter followed massive protests across Bengal and the country over the gruesome rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital.
Taking a tough stand against sexual assault on girls (in Maharashtra’s Badlapur school) and RG Kar government facility, the PM said state governments and political parties of the country must always remember that the guilty and their accomplices in such crimes must not be spared. “Public institutions, be it a hospital or a school or an office or the police system, should be made accountable and any sort of negligence on their part should be treated as unacceptable. Governments may change, but our biggest responsibility as a society and as a government should be to protect the life and dignity of women,” he said.
PM Modi flagged the government’s efforts to make laws stricter to ensure the harshest possible punishment to those committing atrocities on women. Pointing out how FIRs in complaints of sexual assault would go unregistered earlier and justice was delayed, he said such obstacles had been removed in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which had a dedicated chapter on crimes against women and children.
“Victims can now register an e-FIR if they do not wish to go to the police station. Measures are in place to ensure swift action and ensure no tampering with e-FIR happens at the police station level. This will aid speedy investigation and strict punishment for the culprits,” he said.
The PM said the new laws had provisions for death penalty and life imprisonment for sexual crimes against minors. He said the BNS clearly defined false promises of marriage and deception in the name of marriage as cheating.
“The Central Government will support states in every possible way to stop atrocities against women. We cannot stop until this sinful mentality has been eradicated from our society,” he said.
At the Jalgaon event, the PM felicitated and awarded certificates to 11 lakh new “Lakhpati Didis” of the state. The government defines a “Lakhpati Didi” as a woman self-help group member who makes an annual household income of Rs 1 lakh or more. Since the scheme’s inception in 2023, one crore women have become “Lakhpati Didis” and the government has set a target of three crore “Lakhpati Didis”.
The scheme aims to encourage women to start micro-enterprises and achieve a decent standard of life. The PM released a revolving fund of Rs 2,500 crore and disbursed bank loans worth Rs 5,000 crore to women participants of the event where he urged support for the ruling BJP-Shinde Sena government in the next Assembly elections.
“Of the three crore new houses that will be constructed under the government's housing scheme, most will be allotted to women,” he added.
