AAP women delegation protests over doctor’s sexual harassment

A delegation of women leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, protested outside the Lieutenant-Governor’s (L-G) residence on Sunday.

The group demanded justice for a woman doctor who was allegedly sexually abused by the Medical Superintendent of a Delhi hospital.

Despite notifying the L-G in advance, the delegation was not granted an audience with him, they said.

Speaking to mediapersons, Birla accused the L-G of being dismissive of women’s issues. “The L-G is completely anti-women. We stood outside the L-G’s residence for several hours, but no one spoke to us. No one even asked about the issue that brought us here,” she alleged.

The delegation included MLA Dhanwati Chandela, Preeti Tomar, Vandana Kumari, Bhavana Gaur and several other women councillors, who condemned the administration’s handling of the case.

They expressed outrage over the alleged harassment and the transfer of the victim.

Birla said, “It was a matter of shame that the elected women representatives of Delhi had come to meet the L-G after informing him in advance. We understand that the L-G may have been busy, but he has a large staff — anyone could have met us.”

She went on to allege that the L-G’s refusal to engage with them demonstrated his lack of respect for women. “After going to Raj Niwas, it became clear that the L-G does not respect women. He is anti-women,” Birla said.

She added that the female doctor had been seeking justice for over a year, but her complaints had gone unheard by the authorities concerned.

She added, “We came to raise the voice of the victimised female doctor, to show support and to demand the arrest of the person who harassed her. Hundreds of police officers were deployed to stop us. Do we look like terrorists or criminals?”

She pointed out that Delhi’s security is under the Union Home Ministry and the L-G, and their absence in this matter was alarming.

She added that the delegation had sent a letter to the

ut it was returned by a low-level official. She said, “The Union Home Minister and the L-G should be ashamed that they are waiting for an incident similar to what happened in Kolkata to occur in Delhi.”

“If the elected representatives of Delhi had to wait for hours outside the L-G House to raise their voices for a woman doctor, how much will the police listen to an ordinary woman?” she remarked.