'She doesn't get angry over violence against Manipuri women, Bilkis Bano case': Swati Maliwal on Smriti Irani

New Delhi: DCW chief Swati Maliwal slammed Union minister Smriti Irani for her lack of outrage over women being paraded naked in Manipur or over the release of Bilkis Bano's rapists on Independence Day.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Maliwal said Irani "does not get angry" against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who has been accused of sexual harassment or against repeated paroles received by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term for rape and murder.

The comments by Maliwal comes a day after Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, expressed outrage over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blowing a flying kiss in the Lok Sabha, calling him misogynist and saying the House had never witnessed such an "indecent act".

"Union WCD minister is very angry. But, I cannot understand where that anger goes away when, just two rows (in Parliament) behind her, a person called Brij Bhushan Singh sits," Maliwal said in a nearly 2-minute-long video posted on X, formerly Twitter.

काश थोड़ा ग़ुस्सा मणिपुर हिंसा, बृज भूषण या राम रहीम पे भी आया होता…. pic.twitter.com/491dLaRPR7

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 10, 2023

The DCW chief said the minister doesn't get infuriated about Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing many Olympian wrestlers, "calling them to rooms, putting his hands around their waists and chests".

The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Maliwal said the Union WCD minister "doesn't get angry when women are paraded naked in Manipur, molested, and gangraped".

"She doesn't get angry that a rapist and murderer by the name of Ram Rahim is granted repeated parole by the Haryana government. She doesn't get angry when Bilkis Bano who was brutally gang-raped, seven of her family members were killed... those rapists and murders were released (from jail) on Independence Day, this does't get her angry," a visibly upset Maliwal said in the video.

The Supreme Court had on April 18 questioned the Gujarat government over the remission granted to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, saying the gravity of the offence should have been considered before showing leniency, and wondered if there was any application of mind. All of them had walked free on August 15, 2022.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five-month pregnant when she was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Maliwal further said, "It doesn't anger her (Irani) that every day frightening news of rape incidents come out from several parts of the country." "I really think that this woman doesn't have her priorities right and she engages in 'whataboutery'. Anger should be there, but it should be on issues, and it should be followed by actions," the DCW chief said.

In a reference to the central government's 'Beti Bachhao, Beti Padhao' campaign, she added, "Is this how daughters will be saved and educated." TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday also took a swipe at Irani, saying that not one word was heard from her when a BJP MP was accused of harassment in an apparent reference to Singh and now "she is talking about some flying kiss".