Amaravati, August 8: Former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has sharply criticized the state government’s decision to withdraw the Disha Bill, labeling it a “black day” for women and children in the state.
On social media, Reddy stated that a comprehensive safety mechanism designed for women’s protection is being dismantled due to political animosity. He emphasized that the YSRCP government had implemented the Disha system to address rising crimes against women and children, expedite investigations, and streamline judicial processes.
Notably, the decision to withdraw the Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill (Criminal Law AP Amendment Bill, 2019) was made during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. According to the state government, the bill had been sent for presidential approval, but the Ministry of Home Affairs requested clarifications on certain provisions and suggested that the existing bill be withdrawn in favor of a revised version aligned with central recommendations.
Reddy opposed this decision, asserting that Disha was not merely a law but a comprehensive system for women’s safety. He pointed out that under this system, women in distress could receive immediate police assistance by pressing an SOS button on their mobile phones or shaking their phones five times. The Disha app has been downloaded by over 15.1 million users, and during the YSRCP government’s tenure, police acted on 31,607 emergency calls made through the app.
The former Chief Minister claimed that his government established 18 special Disha women police stations and deployed 13,500 female police officers, ensuring the presence of a woman officer in every village and ward secretariat. A special patrolling system was also initiated, equipped with 900 two-wheelers and 163 four-wheelers for women’s safety.
He noted that forensic infrastructure was strengthened in six major cities to enhance the scientific investigation of crimes. Additionally, 13 special POCSO courts and 12 special women’s courts were established to ensure swift hearings. A database of 217,467 registered sexual offenders was also created.
Reddy claimed that after the implementation of the Disha system, the average duration for investigating crimes against women decreased from 156 days in 2017 to just 28 days in 2022. He mentioned that chargesheets were filed within seven days for 164 rape cases and 378 other sexual offenses, with over 51% of serious offenders arrested within 48 hours.
He further asserted that by May 2024, crimes against women had decreased by 27%, with the annual average number of cases dropping from 14,338 to 10,426.
Reddy questioned how the government could consider the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sufficient while dismissing a specialized system like Disha, which includes an SOS system, dedicated women police stations, a grassroots women police network, special patrols, a database of sexual offenders, modern forensic systems, specialized prosecution, and expedited justice.
The YSRCP leader accused the Chandrababu government of diminishing the fear of law among criminals by withdrawing the Disha Bill, thereby eroding women’s trust in the government. He urged the state cabinet to reverse its decision and strengthen the Disha system.
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