If my own daughter is not safe, what about others: Indian minister
Raksha Khadse reveals harassment of daughter, other girls in Maharashtra
New Delhi: The dire state of women’s safety in India is evident from the revelation by Indian Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse about harassment of her daughter along with many other girls during an event in Maharashtra.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Speaking to the media on Sunday, the minister who won Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket disclosed that her daughter, along with several other girls, was harassed during a yatra in Kothali village, Jalgaon in Maharashtra.
Raksha Khadse demanded strict action against the “miscreants”. The incident took place during a Maha Shivratri Mela in Muktainagar, where a group of youths harassed the minister’s daughter and other girls. The accused also attempted to take their pictures on mobile phones. The police rushed to the scene, but the culprits had already fled.
Following the incident, Khadse, accompanied by her daughter, a large number of supporters, and party workers, arrived at the police station to file a complaint.
Speaking to reporters, Khadse, visibly upset, stated in Marathi, “I have come to the police station not as a Union Minister and MP but as a mother seeking justice.”
Expressing deep concern over women’s safety, she questioned, “If the daughters of families like ours are not safe, then what about the rest? If my own daughter is not safe, what will be the condition of others? I will demand strict action from the state government for the implementation of the law.”
“If the daughter of a public representative is being harassed, then what about the safety of common citizens? I will meet the Chief Minister and demand action on such incidents,” she further added.
“They have taken videos of four or five girls. Crimes against women have increased across the state, and the accused no longer fear the law. Many girls hesitate to come forward, but we must not remain silent. That is why I have filed a complaint,” she said.
Raksha Khadse, a three-time Member of Parliament from the Raver Lok Sabha seat, is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She secured victories in the 2014, 2019, and 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is currently serving as the youngest woman minister in the Modi government.
