On International Women’s Day, the issue pertaining to women’s safety ruled the proceedings of Haryana Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session with the Opposition taking on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday over the alleged increasing incidents of crime against women in the state.

While Speaking on Governor’s Address, the Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Naina Singh Chautala raised the issue alleging that incidents involving offences against women witnessed a rise during the present BJP rule in the state.

The MLA also lashed out at Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government over the ongoing protests in Haryana by thousands of women working as Anganwadi workers, Asha workers, guest teachers and others for their demands.

Alleging that the women were not safe in Haryana, Naina Singh Chautala rapped the state government over a series of rapes occurred in Haryana during the month of January, this year. This was strongly countered by the Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain and this led arguments between the Benches from both ruling party and the INLD.

However, pandemonium prevailed in the House when the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi alleged that during the INLD government led by party supremo Om Prakash Chautala, girls were publically molested in Kurukshetra University.

Soon after the Treasury Benches and INLD MLAs got into a war of words over the issue. In a while, former Education Minister and Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal also slammed the BJP regime over the figures showing that incidents relating to crime against women especially kidnapping of women and molestation, getting increased in the state.

Bhukkal also cornered the state government over the national Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showing increased numbers of offences against women in Haryana. Even, in majority of rapes and sexual harassment cases took place in Haryana, victims were from Dalit community, she added.

Two female MLAs of Congress including Bhukkal and Shakuntala Khatak even entered the Well complaining about Treasury Benches alleging that ruling party’s lawmakers were disturbing them while raising the issues.

Congress lawmaker Lalit Nagar also alleged that everyday cases pertaining to rape, molestation, reported in Haryana from various districts. Leader of Opposition, Abhay Singh Chautala also pulled up the government on law and order situation and increasing crimes in the state.

Data placed on the floor of House recently shows that incidents pertaining to kidnapping of women, attempt of rape, eve-teasing and molestation saw a rise in Haryana during past three years.

As per the figures revealed by the state government, Haryana has witnessed increasing numbers of the said offence in past years (April 2015 to January 2018) as a total 2495 cases were registered in connection of kidnapping of women, girls in the state between April 2017 to January this year as compared to 2172 incidents relating to abduction of females during the year 2016-17 and 1698 cases during the year 2015-16. Similarly, cases pertaining to attempt of rape have gone to 155, from 120 in 2015-16 and 127 in 2016-17.

While, 1862 incidents of molestation incidents were reported in 2015-16, have to 2041 as reported till January this year whereas it was 1889 during the year 2016-17. Likewise, eve-teasing has also witnessed rise in the state as 217 such cases were registered in 2015-16, went down to 193 in 2016-17 but rose to 264 cases in 2017-18 till the month of January.

As per the data, a total 27694 cases have been registered for various offence against women in Haryana between April 2015 to January this year. These cases include, 3066 cases of rapes, 402 cases of rape in elopement, 721 cases of dowry deaths, 9624 cases of dowry harassment and 36 cases under Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 were registered in Haryana.

As many as 27 cases were registered in connection with the incidents of acid attack on women, 47 for trafficking of women and 212 under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.