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Governor holds ‘mahila darbar’ amid outrage over gang rape
Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said by holding the ‘mahila darbar’ she wanted to send a message to women that they could approach the highest constitutional authority, who is also a woman.
In a first, Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday held a ‘mahila darbar’ at Raj Bhavan. Over 300 women attended the session, shared their grievances and made suggestions.
The hour-long programme was held by the governor to understand the problems of women under the public engagement programme “Praja Darbar,” in the wake of the recent gang rape of a minor girl in Hyderabad.
“Whenever such incidents happen, my heart bleeds. I cannot remain a silent spectator. It is my responsibility as the first citizen to stand by them. Nobody can restrict me from working for the people, especially women. I strongly wish women should be safe and happy in Telangana,” she said.
She said by holding the ‘mahila darbar’ she wanted to send a message to women that they could approach the highest constitutional authority, who is also a woman. “Our women officers will categorise the grievances that I have received today and we will take it up with the government,” she said.
“There are some people who say why the governor should hold such meetings when there is the government. They should follow the Constitution first. I am not interfering in the government’s functioning, but I am only a bridge between the people and the government,” she said.
The governor, who sought a report from the government on the recent gang rape incident, said there was no response from the authorities even two days after she wrote to them. “I will wait for some more time,” she said.
Teachers, NGO activists, government employees and even women politicians like former MP Renuka Chowdary and former minister J Geetha Reddy among others attended the darbar.
Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtra Samithi described the governor’s programme as politically-motivated. “It was not people’s darbar, but a political darbar,” senior TRS leader and lawmaker K P Vivekananda said.
Stating that the government was not answerable to Raj Bhavan but only to the people who voted the Telangana Rashtra Samithi to power, Vivekananda said the governor’s institution was being misused by the Bharatiya Janata Party which was not tolerating the growing support to chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
