Home India News Women’s panel denies inaction in Bhanwari Devi, Rajbala cases

Women’s panel denies inaction in Bhanwari Devi, Rajbala cases

By IANS,

New Delhi : Rubbishing criticism of Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) woman’s wing president Smriti Irani for inaction in the case of Bhanwari Devi’s disappearance, National Commission for Women chairperson Mamta Sharma Friday called the remarks “immature”.

Talking to reporters here, Sharma said the panel had itself taken cognizance of the Rajasthan nurse’s disappearance and also sent a letter to the state government on the issue.

Bhanwari Devi allegedly features in a CD in a compromising position with sacked state minister Mahipal Maderna. She has been missing since Sep 1.

“The statement is very immature, we sent a letter to the authorities within a week of her kidnapping,” Sharma told reporters.

“The case was then given to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and we can’t interfere anymore,” she said.

Irani, who heads the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, accused the NCW of “double standards”, and alleged no action was taken in Bhanwari Devi case despite of the fact that the NCW chairperson is from Rajasthan.

The BJP Rajya Sabha member also blamed the NCW for being hand in glove with the Congress in creating a hype over the Bhatta-Parsaul case.

Sharma hit back at Irani, saying: “She should have found the facts before commenting.”

The NCW chief said the panel’s report on Bhatta-Parsaul led to action in the cases there and was a big achievement for the commission.

“After our report on Bhatta Parsaul, the (Allahabad) high court ordered that cases should be registered against those guilty. It is a big achievement,” Sharma said.

Asked about the commission’s action in the case of Rajbala who died 114 days after being injured in the crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s fast at the Ramlila ground in Delhi, the NCW chief said that the panel asked the hospital to submit her reports.

“We had asked the hospital to submit her reports, but the reports were not sent to us and then she died,” she said.

Rajbala was critically injured in post-midnight crackdown at Ramdev’s camp June 4. She died on Sep 26.