With Opposition attacking the BJP over assault of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on the beef issue, increasing atrocities against Dalits in the lok Sabha, the Government on Friday announced in the House that 660 One Stop Centres (OSCs) will be set up across the country to offer medical, legal and psychological aid to women affected by violence.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi told the House that the OSCs, being set up under a scheme funded by Nirbhaya fund, will facilitate access to a range of services like medical aid, police assistance, legal aid, psycho-social counseling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence.
The scheme was first implemented on April 1, 2015 when 17 such OSCs were set up in various parts of the country.
Against the backdrop of Rajnath Singh’s proposed visit to Pakistan, BJP MP and former Union Home Secretary referred to terror attacks in India and maintained that there should be no talks with Islamabad.
“There is no point in talking to them (Pakistan) because whenever we talk, they launch attacks like in Pathankot or series of incidents in Kashmir... Government should find out a way to retaliate and hit back at Pakistan,” Singh said in the house during Zero Hour .
Earlier, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge gave statistics to highlight attacks on Dalits and cited the incident in Mandsaur (MP), besides one in Gujarat and the killing of two Dalits in UP to buttress his point.
He sought a ban on cow vigilante groups like 'Gau Rakshak Sangh', he alleged that they have become a law unto themselves and were being encouraged by BJP Governments in the States. In his reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the Home Minister assured the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the House about the plan for disposal of defective ammunition. Army will finalise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for disposal of defective ammunition within a fixed timeframe, he said against the backdrop of a fire at an ammunition depot in Maharashtra that killed 19 people.