Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "double standards" on the issue of women's security, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) asserted that he lacks the right to lecture on the matter, pointing to sexual harassment charges against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
Derek O'Brien, a senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP, highlighted the alarming statistic of 51 crimes against women being registered every hour in the country and questioned what steps the PM has taken to address the situation.
Addressing a rally, PM Modi referred to the recent unrest in Sandeshkhali, emphasizing the role of 'Nari Shakti' (woman power) in challenging the ruling TMC in West Bengal. Sandeshkhali, a riverine island, witnessed tensions over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grabbing involving suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh.
Responding to PM Modi's statements, Derek O'Brien posed three questions via his social media handle. “Today, PM Narendra Modi lectured on Nari Shakti. Three questions to you, Sir - Why are there 51 cases of crimes against women every hour? Why does BJP have 13 per cent women in Lok Sabha, why only 14 per cent women in 195 candidate list?” O'Brien said in a post on his X handle. O'Brien's third question was: “Why no action against BJP MP charged with sexually harassing wrestlers?”
Sushmita Dev, another TMC Rajya Sabha MP, challenged Modi's moral authority to speak on the government's actions against rapists, citing instances where BJP leaders allegedly felicitated rapists, as in the Bilkis Bano case. She criticized Modi's focus on women's safety, pointing to incidents of violence against female wrestlers in Haryana and questioning the absence of a helpline during such incidents.