HVK Archives: Smear test for Delhi BJP
Smear test for Delhi BJP - The Pioneer
Editorial
()
6 August 1996
Title : Smear test for Delhi BJP
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Pioneer
Date : August 6, 1996
The murky controversy over the alleged rape of an inmate
of the Capital's Nari Niketan, while working as a
domestic help in the Health Minister, Mr Harshvardhan's
residence, shows no signs of abating. In fact, the issue
may gather momentum now that the woman has delivered a
child. The Minister while disclaiming responsibility in
the matter has offered to submit himself to a DNA test,
apart from revealing that he had undergone an operation
for sterilisation some years ago. But the manner in
which the issue has snowballed underlines the utter
ineptitude of Delhi's BJP Government, besides focussing
attention on the insensitive attitude of some of its
senior leaders, including the Chief Minister, Mr Sahib
Singh Verma, himself Curiously, the matter first came to
light when two ruling party MLAs, presumably belonging to
Mr Verma's camp, raised it in an apparent bid to
embarrass Dr Harshvardhan and score points in the intra-
party feud. Mr Verma, in a belated attempt to shield his
ministerial colleague, made a preposterous statement that
the woman was of a "loose character", thereby implying
that the charge of rape levelled by her carried no
weight. The Chief Minister is probably not aware that
the Constitution protects even a prostitute against the
crime of rape and no woman, irrespective of what her
perceived morals are, can be forced into having sex.
Clearly, the controversy is being used as a football by
feuding factions within the Delhi BJP and, predictably,
by the opposition Congress. It is quite intriguing that
the Chief Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, otherwise known
for his administrative skills, should have chosen not to
institute any inquiry into the affair despite the damage
it has done to his Government's image. Since the needle
of suspicion has also pointed towards the Minister's
gardner and some others, it is imperative that all the
suspects undergo the DNA tests which alone can prove the
parentage of the infant.
As a result of this controversy, attention has been drawn
to the deplorable state of the Government run Nari
Niketans, too. It is true that the women inmates of
these Niketans do need to be rehabilitated. But, while
doing so, each case should be thoroughly evaluated and a
uniform policy must not be blindly followed. It is not
known when the Nari Niketans started the practice of
sending its inmates as domestic help to the houses of
ministers and other VIPs. However, the practice is prone
to be misused and certain safeguards must be built in
order to prevent the exploitation of women. The
Government would do well to involve women's organisations
of repute in the endeavour to rehabilitate destitute
women. A Nari Niketan should not be treated as a transit
prison for them.
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