‘Stay at home to avoid rape’, controversy erupts over Gujarat Traffic Police poster

These posters were put up at many places in Ahmedabad, but all these posters have been removed as the controversy increased.

Ahmedabad: A controversy has erupted over posters allegedly sponsored by the traffic police in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat.

Opposition parties have surrounded the state government. Actually, in these posters, women have been appealed to stay at home to avoid rape.

These posters were put up at many places in Ahmedabad, but all these posters have been removed as the controversy increased.

In these posters sponsored by the traffic police, it was written that 'Do not attend late night parties, you may be raped or gang-raped.' It was also written that 'Do not go to deserted places with your friends, what if you are raped or gang-raped?' Such posters were seen in Sola and Chandlodia areas of Ahmedabad. Opposition parties targeted the government over these posters and raised questions on women's safety.

Political controversy erupts

The Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party targeted the state government and said that 'these posters have exposed the claims of women's safety in the state. The BJP government in Gujarat talks about women empowerment, but the reality is different.

In the last three years, there have been more than 6500 incidents of rape and 36 incidents of gang rape in the state. In this way, more than five rape incidents have taken place in the state every day.' AAP said that 'the Chief Minister and BJP leaders talk about women's safety, but these posters in big cities like Ahmedabad are showing the reality.

Our question to the CM is whether the women of the state should go out of the house at night or not?'

Traffic police gave clarification

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West), Neeta Desai said that the city's traffic police had sponsored the posters related to road safety, not women's safety.

She claimed that an NGO called Vigilance Group had put up these controversial posters without the consent of the traffic police. Desai said, 'The NGO had approached us and said that they wanted to conduct traffic awareness programmes in schools and colleges and wanted our staff to accompany them. We were shown posters related to traffic awareness.

But such controversial posters were not shown to us and were pasted without our consent. He further said that when the matter was brought to their notice, the posters were removed immediately.