House for Enquiry Commission to address women's safety issue

After complete chaos in the Delhi Assembly leading to a walkout by all three members of the Opposition, Delhi Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution on Monday recommending setting up of a Commission of Enquiry to investigate crimes against women in the Capital. The resolution was passed with an amendment moved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the special session of the Delhi Assembly called to discuss the issue of women security. 

Meanwhile, during the discussion on the resolution, the AAP legislators took the opportunity to attack Delhi Police and called Police Commissioner BS Bassi a spokesperson of the BJP over his challenge to CM Arvind Kejriwal for a debate. “Never before in the history of this nation has a police commissioner challenged a Chief Minister for a debate,” said AAP MlA and former law Minister Somnath Bharti. “If he is really so desperate to debate, and the way he has undermined the stature of his post and made statements as the party spokesperson of the BJP, he should debate with the spokesperson of our party Kumar Vishwas and not the Chief Minister. We will see then who is right and who is wrong,” he said.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai also attacked the functioning of the Delhi Police and said no one can stop Delhi from becoming a complete State. “If you go to lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung with expectations, you will be disappointed. If you go to police, you will be disappointed. Even if you go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you will still be disappointed. But keep raising your voice because no matter what happens, the day will come when the Delhi Police will also come under the State Government and Delhi will also become a complete State,” he said.

The resolution recommends setting up of a commission consisting of not more than three members including a retired judge who will be its Chairman. The commission will probe cases of unheeded complaints of sexual violence against women, suggest necessary amendments to the relevant laws, recommend measures to expedite all the proceedings in such criminal cases and propose measures to be taken to properly implement the provisions of existing laws as well as the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. 

The amendment moved by the CM suggested that the commission may also be empowered to recommend welfare measures for improving the working conditions of the real foot soldiers in the law enforcing agencies.Before passing the resolution through a voice vote, the House saw major drama as the three opposition leaders staged a walkout after throwing some papers in the well of the House. 

Attacking BJP MlAs for walking out of the Aseembly, Transport Minister Gopal Rai said, “Today, no marshals were used to escort them out of the House, but they left voluntarily. That’s because they cannot speak for the cause of safety of women.”Defending his Government’s resolution to form a Commission of Enquiry, Rai said the move is within the purview of the constitution. “Right now, we are fighting within the purview of the constitution for the rights of the women, but if the safety and security of women in Delhi is under threat, we have the will and strength to change the Constitution as well,” he said.

He added that today, women don’t have the confidence that if they go to the police station to make a complaint, will the police file the FIR or will they insult them or misbehave with them. “That is why this commission is important,” he said.