Continuing his attack on the BJP-led Centre and Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to ensure women’s safety and law and order in the Capital, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the party of prioritising political gains over governance. Parallely, he showcased the AAP’s initiatives for women like the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana’.
The former Delhi CM was speaking at a Mahila Adalat, oragnised to mark the 12th anniversary of the December 2012, gangrape case, at Thyagraj Stadium Monday. The event saw the presence of Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, who announced his party’s full support for the AAP in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls which the Congress, its INDIA bloc ally, is also contesting.
The venue, designed to resemble a courtroom, featured testimonies from women who recounted experiences of violence, harassment, and police apathy.
A teenager said, “Some boys followed me from the market, and one suddenly grabbed me. I screamed for help, but no one intervened…” Another woman described an attack on her and her daughter. “They beat us in broad daylight… and sexually assaulted my daughter. Police refused to file an FIR,” she alleged.
Addressing a crowd of predominantly female supporters, Kejriwal reflected on the gangrape case: “This day, 12 years ago, our younger sister was brutally gangraped. It felt like a transformative moment for the country. But here we are, 12 years later, and crimes against women have only increased exponentially.”
He then highlighted his government’s achievements: “We’ve installed over 3 lakh cameras. We’ve deployed marshals on buses and installed over 4 lakh streetlights. But law and order is under the BJP-led Centre and it’s failed miserably… Women’s safety is simply not on their agenda.”
The Adalat also featured a video interspersed with newspaper reports, CCTV footage of crimes, and testimonies of women to underscore the alleged failures of the Home Ministry. “If Amit Shah can’t manage Delhi’s law and order, he should admit it. The women of Delhi are strong enough to handle it themselves,” Kejriwal said.
He also lauded the Mahila Samman Yojana, which promises financial aid of Rs 1,000 for women and Rs 2,100 if the AAP returns to power. “… Financial assistance will empower women to contribute to society,” he said.
Yadav also hit out at the Home Ministry. “If Delhi is not safe, how can we expect any other city to be safe?”
Thanking Kejriwal, he added, “l assure you of one more thing — that the Samajwadi Party is standing with you with full responsibility… the amount of work that your government has done in Delhi, we feel you should get a chance to work once again.”
CM Atishi, who was also at the event, said, “The time has come to raise our voices and show the BJP that the daughters of this country are like Rani Lakshmi Bai. Just as she stood against the British, the women of Delhi will stand against the BJP and make their voices heard.”
Meanwhile, BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Kamaljeet Sehrawat, along with officials of their Mahila Morcha, held a protest outside Kejriwal’s residence over the inclusion of his aide Bibhav Kumar in the event. “If Kejriwal truly wishes to honour women in Delhi, he should first expel those with misogynistic mindsets from his own party,” the Delhi BJP said.
Kumar has been accused of allegedly assaulting AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
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