National Commission for Women demands Akhilesh Yadav's resignation

Criticising the lack of efforts by the Uttar Pradesh administration to curb rising number of rape cases, National Commission for Women on Monday demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"It's been ten days since the horrific Badaun gangrape and murder case but nothing has changed. Over seven gangrape incidents have been reported since. There are no attempts to curb the rising cases of rape," NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said.

"We have demanded the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's resignation over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state," she said. Sharma also condemned the recent remark made by the state's Director General of Police that the Badaun rape case was actually a case of "honour killing" and had nothing to do with the law and order of the state.

"How can he make such an irresponsible statement? After all the evidences, he is making such comments. This is disturbing," she said. She also criticised the irresponsible statements made by leaders in UP over the rape incidents. Sharma also condemned the rape attempt on a woman judge, who was forced to drink insecticide when she resisted the bid, by goons at her government house in Aligarh.

She said that in 2014 alone, more than 2,000 complaints of rape cases have come to NCW from UP and "almost 50% of them are cases of police apathy". According the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), between 2007 and 2012, the number of such crimes rose 12% from 20,993 to 23,569.