Indian opposition leaders demand improved safety measures for women

Opposition leaders in India, including Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, have criticized the government regarding the safety of women and female students following recent incidents of sexual assault.

Rahul Gandhi stated that the solution to rising crime is not to restrict women to their homes, but to secure public spaces and ensure swift, exception-free punishment for offenders. He noted that many young women and students are protesting in the streets to demand better protection and accused the government of being unresponsive to their concerns.

In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal argued that instead of advising girls to stay indoors after dark, the government must establish a robust security infrastructure. He highlighted the recent alleged gang rape of a minor in Astha Kunj Park as a catalyst for public outrage. Kejriwal claimed that many existing CCTV cameras and street lights in the capital are non-functional and called for the immediate repair of lighting in dark spots, the creation of a central command center for real-time monitoring, and the deployment of at least two female police officers at every college.