Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s order to prohibit women from working beyond 6 pm has invited criticism from various quarters, including his own party. The Bahuguna-led state government on Saturday took the step in the wake of Delhi gang rape.
Slamming the order, Congress leader Manish Tewari said, “This is the 21st century and both men and women have equal rights.” Reacting to the state government’s decision, Union Waters Resources Minister and Congress leader from Uttarakhand Harish Rawat said, “Issuing such guidelines on when should they (women) go out and till what time they should work is not a fair step. It is not going to work.”
“I think stricter laws should be made and enforcement agencies should be held accountable to ensure swift and harsh punishment for the culprits. We will have to change the mentality. We will have to come up with a broader social campaign to change the mentality of society to stop such crimes,” added Rawat. Former CM of Uttarakhand Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said, “It shows that the state government is incapable of providing security to women. Tomorrow, the government will stop them from going out of their homes.”