Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 20: NCP (SP) Working President and MP Supriya Sule has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressing serious concern over what she described as a worsening law and order situation affecting women’s safety across the state.
In her letter, Sule highlighted a reported rise in crimes against women, including physical assault, murder, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and kidnapping. She also pointed to a disturbing increase in cases involving the exploitation of young girls.
She noted that major urban centres such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nashik are witnessing a surge in such incidents, creating an atmosphere of fear among residents. According to her, the concern is not limited to cities, as rural areas are also affected, with parents increasingly anxious about the safety of their daughters.
Sule said this climate of insecurity is negatively impacting girls’ access to education, healthcare, and overall development. She further remarked that Maharashtra’s long-standing reputation for maintaining strong law and order was being “tarnished” and stressed that ensuring citizen safety is a core responsibility of the state government.
Calling for immediate intervention, she urged the Chief Minister—who also holds the Home portfolio—to personally review women’s safety measures across all districts. Among her key suggestions were increasing the number of women police personnel, strengthening night patrolling, and ensuring better enforcement of existing safety mechanisms.
She also recommended reviving and actively operationalising Vishakha Committees across districts, filling vacancies in the State Women’s Commission, and reinforcing village-level systems to tackle domestic violence.
Additionally, Sule called for a strict “zero tolerance” approach towards child marriage and child abuse, along with immediate safety guidelines for girls in schools and colleges. She urged swift government action to restore a sense of security among women across Maharashtra.