Reducing rapes to statistics insensitive: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday slammed the Congress and NCP for using crime statistics to prove that the cases of rapes and crime against women were fewer during their government in Maharashtra. Mr Fadnavis said that it is insensitive to assess crimes like rape through statistics. He also lashed out against Congress leader Narayan Rane, who has claimed that a state minister misbehaved with a woman government officer. The CM said Mr Rane cannot be taken seriously as he has made allegations against his own party leaders in the past and then changed his stand.

Replying to a debate on the issue of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a minor girl in Ahmednagar’s Kopardi village, Mr Fadnavis said, “There was an attempt by the opposition who used statistics to present a picture that the rape cases and other crimes against women have increased after we came to power. It has always been my opinion that it is insensitive to use statistics to discuss crimes like rape. It is insensitive to use statistics to compare situations during different governments.”

The opposition has claimed that there has been a sharp rise in the number of rape and molestation cases in the last 20 months after the BJP came to power. However, the CM clarified that there has been a rise in the registration of rape cases all over India since 2012.

“After the Delhi gang-rape case, the central government widened the definition of rape. We have added more sub-sections in the section 376 of IPC (which deals with rape). The government also adopted the policy of free flow of registration of complaints. When cases of crime against women are reported, the police first register the case and then investigate it. Also, there has been increased awareness in the society. Earlier, several cases went unreported because of social taboo,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The CM also claimed that his government has made conscious efforts to check crimes against women. He said 27 special courts and 22 fast track courts have been set up to try cases of crime against women. He also claimed that the detection has improved and conviction rate has increased from 6-7 per cent to 23 per cent in the last 20 months.

“I am not proud of these statistics. But I am presenting this only to refute the claims of the opposition that the situation has worsened in the state,” he said.

Mr Rane on Tuesday had claimed in the Legislative Council that he was recently informed by a woman officer that a senior Cabinet minister engaged in “immoral behaviour” towards her. However, he did not disclose the name of the minister.

“If the incident claimed by Mr Rane was true, he should have immediately brought it to the government’s notice. Why wait till the Assembly session Was it because you wanted to use it for your political gains By making this sweeping claim, Mr Rane has created a suspicion about every minister,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The CM said that Mr Rane had in the past spoken about Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and Manikrao Thakrey as well. “Everything that Rane says should thus not be taken seriously. He has a different view about the same person after a few months,” he said.

During his speech in the state Legislative Council on Tuesday, Mr Rane was acerbic in his criticism of the BJP, alleging criminals were joining the party whose character, he claimed, has changed over the years. Reacting to it, Mr Fadnavis said in the Upper House on Wednesday, “Look who is saying BJP is a party of goons. If I list out the number of cases filed in Sindhudurg (the hometown of Mr Rane), it will be proved which is the party of goons. Jo kaanch ke gharon mein rehte hain, woh dusron pe patthar nahin phekte (those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others),” he said.

Mr Fadnavis refuted the allegations made by the opposition that the police delayed registering the case in the Kopardi rape case and tried to protect the accused persons. Giving factual details of the case, the CM said that the incident happened around 7.15 pm on July 13. The police got first information about it at 9.44 pm and they reached the spot at 10.15 pm. “These details are available on Command Control Transmitter Mobile System, which cannot be tampered with. After panchanama and completing all formalities, an FIR was registered at 1.10 am. The first accused person, Jitendra Shinde (27), was apprehended nine hours after the registration of the FIR and, after due process, he was put under arrest at 12.10 am on July 15. The second accused was arrested at 11.17 pm on July 16 and the third accused was arrested at 8.20 am on July 17. Therefore, it is not true that the police did not take any action.” The CM further said he did not visit the victim’s house because he was advised by the police against it. “We have applied the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 in the case. As per the Act, we cannot reveal the address of the victim,” he said adding that the opposition leader Dhananjay Munde should also have avoided visiting the victim’s house. “It is not your fault. But when you go there, cameras follow you there and the victim’s address is exposed,” the CM said.