Jagan: Withdrawal of Disha Bill a black day for women

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has come down heavily on the Chandrababu government for its decision to withdraw the Disha Bill, saying it marks a black day for women and children of Andhra Pradesh.

The YSR Congress Party chief said on Friday that it is deeply unfortunate that a comprehensive safety framework created to protect women has been dismantled out of political jealousy.

The State Cabinet, at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday, decided to withdraw the Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill – Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The Bill was sent to the President for assent. According to the State government, the Ministry of Home Affairs reviewed it, sought clarifications on several provisions, and advised the State to withdraw the existing legislation and submit a revised Bill incorporating the Centre’s recommendations.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, slammed the coalition government for its move. In a social media post, he said the YSRCP government introduced Disha as a solution to the growing incidence of crimes against women and children, delays in investigation and prolonged judicial processes.

It was conceived as a comprehensive system that not only aimed to prevent crime but also ensured an immediate police response, protection for victims, time‑bound investigation, scientific collection of forensic evidence, prompt filing of charge sheets and speedy justice through dedicated courts.

He recalled that as part of the Disha initiative, a system was introduced under which police would respond within minutes if a woman in distress pressed the SOS button or shook her mobile phone five times. More than 1.51 crore people downloaded the Disha App, and during the YSRCP tenure, police successfully responded to and resolved 31,607 emergency calls received through the App.

The former Chief Minister said their government established 18 exclusive Disha Mahila Police Stations. By deploying 13,500 Women Police personnel, with one woman police officer in every village and ward secretariat, a strong grassroots safety reporting network was created. Dedicated patrolling with 900 two‑wheelers and 163 four‑wheelers was introduced.

To strengthen scientific investigation of crimes, forensic infrastructure was upgraded in six major cities. Thirteen Special POCSO Courts and 12 Special Women’s Courts were established to ensure speedy trials. A dedicated database containing details of 2,17,467 registered sexual offenders was also created to strengthen investigation and monitoring.

He claimed that Disha had emerged as a highly successful safety framework for women and children and that the results clearly demonstrated its effectiveness.

The average investigation period in crimes against women was reduced from 156 days in 2017 to 28 days by 2022. Charge sheets were filed within just seven days in 164 rape cases and 378 other sexual offence cases.

More than 51 per cent of the accused in serious cases were arrested within 48 hours. DNA reports, which earlier took several months, were made available within days through the strengthened forensic system.

A total of 214 convictions were secured in cases involving crimes against women and children. By May 2024, crimes against women had declined by 27 per cent, with the annual average number of cases reducing from 14,338 to 10,426, he said.

“Today, the Chandrababu government claims that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is sufficient and that Disha is no longer required. But how can the BNS replace a specialised system that includes an SOS emergency response mechanism, dedicated women’s police stations, Women Police personnel from the village level, exclusive patrolling units, a sexual offenders’ database, an advanced forensic system, specialised prosecution, dedicated courts and a framework aimed at ensuring time‑bound investigation and speedy justice for women?” Jagan asked.

The YSRCP chief said instead of strengthening such a system, the government has chosen to criticise the very objective of delivering speedy justice.

He alleged that by withdrawing the Disha Bill, the Chandrababu government is reducing the fear of the law among offenders while weakening victims' confidence in the government. It is dismantling a system that women regarded as a reliable shield for their protection, he said, and demanded that the Cabinet reverse its decision and further strengthen Disha.