'Expand outreach, take on RSS': Rahul Gandhi meets Kanhaiya Kumar, others after NSUI setback in DUSU polls
The Congress-backed NSUI failed to secure a single seat in the top posts while the ABVP bagged three posts.
New Delhi: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi extended support to student-led protests advocating for women's safety, criticizing the government's approach of limiting women's movement following incidents of violence against women. The recent protests, sparked by an alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park in south Delhi, have involved hundreds of demonstrators, primarily women, calling for safer public spaces, enhanced policing, and greater accountability.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated that the government's response to these crimes was to ask women to remain indoors, implying victim-blaming rather than addressing the root causes of unsafe public spaces. He emphasized that this reflects patriarchal attitudes that blame the victim and protect the perpetrator, urging a shift towards making streets safer, challenging harmful attitudes towards women, and ensuring swift punishment for offenders.
The Congress leader criticized the focus on restricting women's movement as ineffective and advocated instead for societal change. Protests have spread across Delhi University, with participants from various institutions expressing concerns about harassment, inadequate street lighting, and restrictions imposed on women due to safety concerns.
The Supreme Court has also intervened, questioning the Delhi government and police on their handling of recent crimes against women and demanding accountability for failures in public safety. Rahul Gandhi called upon more young people, especially women from Generation Z, to participate actively in peaceful protests, urging them to continue their demonstrations for greater safety, despite the government's seeming lack of empathy.
The demonstrations featured creative signs such as "Abort Patriarchy," "My favorite season is FALL of patriarchy," and "Bas bohot ho gaya" (enough is enough), reflecting the participants' determination to challenge patriarchal norms and demand change.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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