Rape Prevention or Victim Blaming? Controversial Posters in Ahmedabad Spark Fury

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Posters put up by Ahmedabad Traffic Police have sparked controversy. The posters put up in Ahmedabad urge women to stay at home to avoid rape. This request has been made through the poster by Ahmedabad Traffic Police.

Such a campaign for the safety of women has created controversy with sponsored posters. These posters were pasted in some areas of the city. These posters have been criticized by the opposition. These posters were put up in some areas of the city, which read, 'Do not go to a party late at night, you may be raped or gang-raped. 'Do not go to a dark and deserted area with your friend, what if she is raped or gang-raped?' These posters were put up on road dividers in Sola and Chandlodia areas, which have now been removed. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Traffic) Neeta Desai clarified that the traffic police had only sponsored posters related to road safety, not posters related to women's safety.

He claimed that an NGO called 'Vigilance Group' made and put up the controversial posters without the consent of the traffic police. Desai said, 'The NGO had approached us and said that they want to organize traffic awareness programs in schools and colleges and for this they want the help of our staff. They had only shown us posters related to traffic awareness, not these controversial posters. These were put up without our knowledge and as soon as we came to know, we got them removed immediately.' Aam Aadmi Party has targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party government on this issue. AAP has raised questions on the safety of women in the state. AAP said in a statement, 'The reality of the BJP government talking about women empowerment in Gujarat is something else. In the last three years, more than 6,500 rape cases and more than 36 gang rape cases have been registered in the state. On an average, more than five rapes occur every day.'