The Congress-led United Democratic Front is protesting in front of the secretariat today on Monday. The UDF alleges that the Left government is protecting the culprits allegedly named in the Justice K. Hema Committee report. The opposition has been accusing the state government of ignoring the revelations of the victims in the recently released Justice Hema Committee report that exposed exploitation and abuse of women. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V. D. Satheeshan is leading the protest. But look at the hypocrisy of Congress leaders, the leader who was accused by a woman leader of the party is the one leading the protest. And the leader who made the allegation was shown the door by the party without any investigation. While the party raises the slogan of ‘Larki Hun Lad Sakti Hun’.
1- Why were the accused given a clean chit without investigating the allegations made by the woman leader?
As soon as a Kerala Congress leader spoke about casting couch in the party, an order was issued to end her political career. On Sunday, the Kerala unit of Congress expelled its senior leader Simi Rosebell John from the primary membership of the party. The woman leader had only said that women have to pay the price of progressing not only in the Malayalam film industry but also in the Congress. Women have to go through similar exploitation in the party as well. Ideally, Simi Rosebell should have been given protection and her allegations should have been investigated, but this did not happen.
Ernakulam Congress leader Simi Rosebell on Saturday claimed that women have faced exploitation within the party. Rosebell says that women members often have to endure exploitation to get opportunities within the party. Rosebell made serious allegations against several Congress leaders, including VD Satishan, saying that women can reach important positions only by ‘pleasing’ male leaders. The result is that talent and experience are often sidelined.
2- Will Priyanka Gandhi stand with the victimized woman leader?
There is a ruckus in the Malayalam film industry in Kerala on the issue of casting couch. After the Hema Committee report, 17 actresses have so far lodged a complaint with the police about casting couch. But the matter is not limited to the film industry. The political parties of Kerala are also naked in their own bath. At least the way the party has tried to shut the mouth of a Kerala Congress leader suggests this. The party depriving a senior leader of priority membership due to just one statement shows that the party is afraid that the secrets of many leaders may be revealed. If the voice is not suppressed, there may be a flood of such voices from within the party. It is expected that the party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who gave the slogan of ‘Larki Hun Lad Sakti Hun’, will also be aware of this development in her party. After a few days, she has to struggle to reach the Lok Sabha from this state. It should be hoped that Priyanka will show courage to stand in support of this woman leader of her party.
3- When Priyanka Gandhi goes to contest elections in Kerala, she will face a dilemma
After winning the election from Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi has left Wayanad seat of Kerala. After that, a statement came from the Congress party that now Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Wayanad seat. When a terrible natural disaster struck Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi went together to inquire about the condition of the victims. This made it more clear that Priyanka could be a candidate from this seat in future. However, Priyanka did not get much success while being in charge of Uttar Pradesh. Be it the 2019 Lok Sabha election or the 2022 assembly election. But the way she ran her campaign in the assembly election keeping women in focus matters a lot. In this election, she gave the slogan ‘Larki hun, lad sakti hun’. And 40 percent of the tickets were given to women. Many of these candidates were such who were victims of some kind of oppression. Priyanka emerged as the voice of the oppressed women after that election. But, now when a leader of her own party in Kerala has accused her leaders of sexual harassment, how can Priyanka remain silent? When she comes to contest elections in Kerala, she will be asked what punishment did that woman leader get? It should be hoped that the voice of exploitation and harassment of women of Kerala Congress must be reaching Priyanka. Will Priyanka show the courage to stand in support of a woman leader of her party?
4- Most number of Congress MPs are elected from Kerala
If Congress has got the most electoral success in any state in the Lok Sabha elections, then it is Kerala. The Congress-led United Democratic Front was successful in winning 18 out of 20 seats in Kerala. In which Congress alone got 14 seats. In this way, Congress is in a very strong position in Kerala. Even when Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi in 2019, he got a big victory in Wayanad. There is no such safe seat in the whole country for the Gandhi family and Congress from where victory with a huge majority is guaranteed. Perhaps this is the reason why Congress is taking the help of Kerala to send Priyanka to the Lok Sabha. It is obvious that Kerala Congress will have to try to wash off this stain on itself. Otherwise, it will not be known when this strong fort of Congress will crack. Bharatiya Janata Party has started its campaign by winning one seat here in the last Lok Sabha elections. In future, BJP is going to rob the same votes that Congress used to get here. Actually, Congress has been getting the votes of Hindus in bulk in Kerala. During the Lok Sabha elections, the LDF was constantly targeting Rahul Gandhi for not opposing the CAA. Well, if a woman leader of Congress makes a serious allegation against her party leaders, then by ignoring her, the party is also ignoring the women voters. Only time will tell how much this risk will cost it.
5- Not only Congress, many parties are mired in ‘casting couch’
Those who have read the autobiography of social worker, leader, writer Ramanika Gupta will know how women have been treated in Congress. Ramanika has made sensational revelations in her book Aaphudri. Ramanika writes in this book that a Home Minister who later becomes the President calls her to his residence for some work. When she goes to meet him, she is asked to sit in a room. She is told that the Minister is taking a bath. After a while, the Minister appears in front of her without clothes and takes her in his arms. She has also told stories of a minister and Chief Minister of Bihar. How a minister takes her to Delhi unnecessarily citing a meeting in Delhi so that he can sexually exploit her. Many such stories are heard about leaders of other parties as well. It is not hidden from anyone that the path of progress for women in politics is not easy. Simi Rosebel, who was expelled from the Kerala Congress, clearly says that women should not go to meet any male leader alone. They should definitely take a relative or friend along with them.
It should be hoped that after the revelations of SIMI, a committee will be formed to look into the harassment of women in politics. But, the same question arises that the committee will be formed by the government and those who run the government are mostly men.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)