Activists livid over women panel chief’s remark on fake cases

Jaipur: Women activists protested outside the office of Rajasthan State Commission for Women (RSCW) in Jaipur demanding resignation of its chairperson, Rehana Riyaz Chisti, for saying that fake cases were being registered by some women.The activists alleged that the women’s commission was working against women by making such statements. Representatives from the state units of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), National Federation of Indian Women, National Muslim Women Welfare Association, and Rajasthan University Women’s Association, among others, were among the protesters.“We are very annoyed by this anti-women stand and action of the commission. Such actions have never been taken by any commission in the country. This is shocking, and we condemn it and demand that the RSCW chairperson withdraw her comments and resign,” said a statement issued by the activists after protest.Kavita Srivastava, PUCL’s Rajasthan unit president, said, “We all know that many times women are forced to give statements and are harassed and tortured in different ways. If such action is taken by the authorities on instructions from the women’s commission, how will women feel safe to come out and raise their issues?”Meanwhile, Chisti said that the commission was only asking police to re-examine cases that were found fake after investigations were completed.“We have a complete process after a complaint it received, which is very transparent. Once an FIR is registered with police, we get a copy of it, which is further sent to the SP of the district concerned, and then police send us a report after investigation. The report is forwarded to the complainant so that they can file an appeal” said Chisti.