‘No one will forget Hathras…’: Akhilesh Yadav hits out at BJP over women's safety

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the BJP over its record of women's safety, stating that it talks about "Nari Vandan" (honouring women) but people will not forget the Hathras case.

Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav also questioned the Central government over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill, 2023.

"The Women's Reservation Bill has been passed; why is the Bharatiya Janata Party not implementing it? It should be implemented in the next election. If you are running buses for women, then implement this reservation too. They speak of 'Nari Vandan' (honouring women), yet no one will forget the Hathras incident," he said, referring to the case of a 19-year-old girl who succumbed to her injuries at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on September 29, 2020, after being assaulted and allegedly gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on September 14, 2020.

He expressed gratitude to women within his party, saying, "I express my gratitude to the women of our party--who represent half the population. The decisions regarding education and health taken by the Samajwadi Party in the past remain exemplary even today."

Citing a recent visit by a Japanese delegation to the state, Yadav noted that the current government showcased the '1090' women's helpline service, which was established during the SP's tenure.

"A Japanese delegation visited recently, and the current government showcased the '1090' service established during the Samajwadi Party's tenure to showcase their efforts towards women's safety", he said.

Shifting his focus to the party's manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2027, he announced, "This is a pledge for the complete freedom of the 'half population' (women). Along with Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana, we will work to provide them with ₹40,000 annually. This amount will also increase in the future."

He also pledged to revive the party's laptop distribution scheme for students. "The Samajwadi Party government had distributed laptops in the past as well. Those laptops are still in use today. We distributed laptops at a time when technology was not yet widespread. We will provide laptops to daughters who have passed their Intermediate exams. We will eliminate the sense of insecurity," he said.

His remarks set the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh next year, with the ruling BJP looking to secure a third consecutive term against a Samajwadi Party seeking to reclaim power.