Anti-Romeo squad: Women for name change

LUCKNOW: A group of women activists met UP director general of police (DGP), Javeed Ahmad on Saturday and submitted a letter requesting him to change the name of the anti-Romeo squad. On the other hand, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) stated that the drive was an infringement of the right of people to move freely with whom they wanted to.

National spokesperson of AAP Sanjay Singh said in a statement that acts such as stopping people on roads, making their videos in the park and humiliating them by spreading those videos was wrong and amounted to a crime.

State spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said that the administration should focus on solving the cases pending at police stations. He said that such act of cops were spreading fear among residents. The women activists said the name suggested that there wasn’t any difference between couples in love and harassers. They also said the name Romeo came from a Shakespearean play that symbolised love. So the term ‘anti Romeo’ conveyed that the government was against love and lovers, they added.

“We are in favour of strict police action against all harassers and trouble makers on roads. But we are certainly against police troubling and torturing lovers,” said Madhu Garg, state president of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA).

The group also raised objections over the police action against innocent people and demanded that the police should take action against real culprits. The group also demanded strict implementation of laws meant for security of women in UP.