Chennai: Hailing the bravado act of the girl student coming forward to lodge a complaint with the police after she was subjected to alleged sexual assault in the iconic state-administered Anna University campus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Minister Ms Geetha Jeevan said women’s safety is of utmost importance for the ruling DMK’s Dravidian model government.
Talking to reporters at Thoothukudi here on Friday evening, she said “Thank you and praise
to the student who bravely complained about the violence that happened to her on the Anna University campus in Guindy”.
“I commend her for her brave complaint so that the violence that happened should not happen to anyone again. Women should come forward to report this bravely”, she said.
“Only then can we create a situation where crimes do not occur”, she said.
Ms Geetha Jeevan, while mocking at the whiplash protest of BJP State President K Annamalai seeking justice for the victim and to highlight women’s safety, said after taking charge, Chief Minister M K Stalin held a special meeting on November 27, 2021, in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department and the Police, on steps to prevent crimes against women and children.
Mr Stalin had strictly said at the meeting that there should be a safe environment for women and children, and that immediate action should be taken when crimes are reported.
Since then, the Chief Minister has been conducting inspections every month to ensure whether crimes against women and children are being noticed and whether the First Information Report has been filed properly if a crime has been committed, and whether the culprit has been given appropriate punishment.
Observing that the Chief Minister believes that the DMK’s Dravidian Model government should be a government for women, Ms Geetha Jeevan said that’s why he has been implementing various schemes for women welfare, including free bus travel, monthly Rs 1,000 grant for every women household heads and other schemes, which were aimed at empowering the women community.
Stating that young women were unaware of the steps they could take under the POCSO Act, she said the government has created awareness about this in all schools with the collaboration of the education and social welfare departments, and police.
This allows them to file complaints with courage. Moreover, the details of the people who file complaints will be kept confidential. This is why, even mothers, come forward to file complaints about what happened to their children, she said and listed out various incidents of crimes against women that occurred during the previous AIADMK regime, including the sensational Pollachi sex scandal, which that regime tried to suppress it.
The central investigation was conducted in the case only after parties including DMK staged
protests and agitations, she recalled.
However, in the Anna University incident the accused was arrested within 3 hours. There is no doubt that he will be given appropriate punishment.
The Minister also reiterated the statements of other Ministers and senior Party leaders, the
accused, Gnanasekaran, arrested in Anna University sexual assault case was not a member
of the DMK.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Kovai Chezhiyan appealed to the students to download the Police Assistance App on their mobile phones for their safety in times of any emergency.
In a statement here, he said all colleges should ensure that students download the Police
Assistance App on their mobile phones.
He said the government is taking all measures to ensure that women are free and safe.
In this regard, all women, especially students, should download the ‘Police Help’ app on their mobile phones, which helps them contact the police immediately in times of any emergency.
He said by pressing the red ‘Emergency’ button in the App, the user’s details, current location details and video will be received by the control room and the police’s emergency service will act immediately and rush to the spot.
This app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store and App Store, he said.
