Congress slams former BJP MLA for blaming attire for crimes against women, demands apology

NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand Congress chief spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni condemned former Uttarakhand BJP MLA Harbhajan Singh Cheema for his recent remarks that blamed women’s clothing for the rising crimes against them. Dasauni criticised Cheema's statement, saying that it reflects a regressive mindset and shifts responsibility away from law enforcement and societal attitudes towards women.
"The questions that he has raised on dressing are condemnable.What should the minor girls who are being raped and murdered every day in Uttarakhand wear? Rather than advising the youth to look at women respectfully, he has put the entire blame on women. Police are not being blamed, perverted mentality is not blamed, but all the blame has been put on women. This is the culture of the BJP”, Dasauni said.
Cheema's remarks have sparked outrage, with Dasauni calling for him to apologise and retract his statement. In his controversial statement, Cheema expressed concern over the increasing incidents of crimes against women. While addressing the issue, he pointed to the adoption of Western clothing by women as a contributing factor. "Women and the adoption of Western clothing too, are responsible for the rising crimes against them. Women should wear clothes according to India's culture and traditions," he said.

Dasauni labeled Cheema's statement as "unforgivable" and highlighted the need for a shift in societal attitudes. She argued that such comments perpetuate a harmful mindset that holds women responsible for the crimes committed against them, rather than addressing the root causes of these issues. The Congress leader accused the BJP of promoting a mindset that hinders women's progress and development.
Uttarakhand recorded the highest number of cases of rape of women and children among the nine Himalayan states including Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and two union territories (UTs), Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report on crime for 2022.
As per the report, a total of 4,337 cases of crime were reported against women in Uttarakhand last year, which was 907 more compared to 2021, followed by J&K with 3,716 cases and Himachal Pradesh at third spot with 1,551 cases.