Expressing dismay over the “open defiance” by the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre of the apex court’s order on the Sabarimala issue, former Additional Solicitor General of India Indira Jaising on Monday said this will be a matter of discussion in the Supreme Court shortly.
Delivering the B.V. Kakkilaya-Inspired Oration on ‘Gender Justice in India’, Ms. Jaising, who represented petitioners in the apex court in the Sabarimala temple issue, said it was shocking to see the BJP asking people not to obey the ruling of the apex court. They held a massive protest and also urged policemen posted at the shrine to act as per their conscience, she said. “This is active disobedience by those meant to implement the order,” she said.
Terming the apex court judgments in the Sabarimala and triple talaq issues as two fine examples of gender justice, Ms. Jaising said: “Whatever developments have come in gender justice is because of the apex court and not because of the ruling government.” It was absurd on part of the Union government to come with an act to criminalise “triple talaq” after the apex court had it as unconstitutional, she said.
Pointing to a “marked increase” in violence against women during the present BJP rule, Ms. Jaising said the right-wing mobs were preventing women from living the way they want. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, its affiliated units, and the BJP want women to be confined to kitchen and procreate children.
“If we raise our voice against this, we are being attacked and murdered,” she said and added that journalist Gauri Lankesh was one among those victims.
While lamenting the “failure” of the Centre in not coming out with schemes for use of the Nirbhaya funds dedicated to prevent violence against women, the senior advocate said there has not been any change in sex ratio in States such as Haryana following the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign. She, however, lauded Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi for setting up a coterie to which people can directly report to on cyber bullying and threat to children.
