‘Clicking photos of women defecating is sex harassment’
The opposition parties in Rajasthan Saturday demanded strict against those involved in the alleged lynching of Zafar Hussain, a CPI-ML worker who died after being brutally thrashed by sanitation workers on Friday. The state police is yet to make any arrests in the case.
“We demand that the Nagar Parishad Commissioner and others named in the FIR lodged in Comrade Zafar’s murder case be arrested and speedily punished,” said CPI (ML) Liberation Central Committee member Prabhat Kumar.
He also demanded that the state and the central governments declare public shaming in the guise of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan as illegal and punish officials promoting the use of such tactics.
Husain was kicked, punched and beaten to death by the sanitation officials after tried to stop them from photographing women from his Bagwasa Kachi basti defecating in the open.
“Such photography and videography of women defecating is a clear instance of sexual harassment. This incident has yet again established how the Swachh Bharat campaign too is becoming an excuse for lynch mob attacks and attacks on women’s dignity and rights,” he said.
“The drive to end open defecation cannot proceed on the basis of inflicting indignities on the poor and helpless people who have no access to private or public toilets. The present strategy of ODF campaign is giving rise to corruption, fake claims and public humiliation of deprived people. Governments must reverse this draconian strategy and unleash a positive campaign popularizing toilet use, with a focus on construction of toilets, assured availability of water, and proper arrangements for toilet-cleaning,” he added.
State Congress president Sachin Pilot said it was unfortunate that the ruling BJP was trying “to gather accolades without providing toilets and other basic facilities”.
“People who are there to maintain law and order are openly hitting public. A high level probe should be conducted in the incident and strict action taken against those responsible,” he added.
State CPM president Amra Ram condemned the incident and objected to the morning follow-up programme of the government.
“Such teams should be banned immediately. Clicking photographs of women is not justified. Such acts will not be tolerated,” he said.
He demanded that the family of Hussain be immediately provided a government job and compensation.