Amid growing concern over the safety of girls students in schools and colleges, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has started a drive of distributing pepper spray among the girls for self defence against tormentors.
Party president and MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi handed over such sprays to 200 college students in Golkonda, the same area of Hyderabad where a minor girl was allegedly raped in a private school earlier this month.
The party along with the SHE team of Hyderabad police organised a program as part of “Women and Children’s safety Awareness campaign” which was attended by thousands of girls and their parents.
Women police officials explained to the participants the measures they should take in case of facing sexual harassment and threat including informing their parents and keeping the phone numbers of police and SHE Teams officials handy.
Speaking on the occasion Owaisi warned the private educational institutions that if they fail to ensure the safety of girls, the Government would cancel their recognition. Strongly condemning the rape of a minor student in Azan international school he said that the management did not have the minimum civility and courtesy of calling the parents of the girl and expressing sympathy to them. “If any such incident recur in any educational institution the MIM will stand with the victim and raise its voice against such managements
“The safety of girls is the responsibility not just of the police department but that of every member of the society. If we want to make our girls strong then we will have to guarantee their safety”,
Owaisi said.
He urged the college girls to download the Apps of the police and save the phone numbers of SHE teams to alert them in any emergency. “Those harassing and tormenting the girls are Shayateen (devils)”, he said.
Owaisi said that the campaign will be extended to the entire city and pepper sprays will be distributed among all the girls.