Jammu, Dec 18: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Mahila Congress on Thursday accused the Union Territory administration of failing to enforce women protection laws, citing a steady rise in crimes against women and alleged administrative apathy towards their safety and legal rights.
The criticism was voiced during a meeting held at the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Jammu, where the women’s wing expressed concern over what it described as weak law enforcement, poor implementation of protective legislations and inadequate response to offences involving women. The gathering also witnessed the felicitation of newly appointed Senior Vice President Inderjeet Kour Randhawa.
Former minister and JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, who attended the meeting as chief guest, alleged that despite statutory safeguards, incidents of violence and exploitation against women continue to rise, pointing to systemic failure in policing, prosecution and governance. He charged the BJP-led administration with neglecting women’s safety while inflation, unemployment and cuts in welfare spending have worsened their socio-economic vulnerability. Bhalla said laws meant to deter crimes against women have little impact without intent and accountability in enforcement.
Bhalla recalled that Congress-led governments introduced several legislations aimed at protecting women from social and domestic abuse, ensuring equal wages and securing maternity rights. He said these legal measures were designed to uphold dignity, safety and equality, particularly at the grassroots level through Panchayati Raj institutions where women were given statutory representation.
Referring to economic offences and exploitation of frontline women workers, Bhalla alleged that ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and self-help group members remain underpaid and overburdened, despite repeated assurances by the present government. He maintained that genuine empowerment requires policy execution and legal protection, not political rhetoric.
Presiding over the meeting, Pradesh Mahila Congress President Shameema Raina stressed the need to strengthen the organisation at the booth level to ensure that complaints related to women’s safety, welfare entitlements and social injustice reach the authorities. She urged party workers to remain connected with the public and raise issues requiring administrative and legal intervention.
Senior Vice President Inderjeet Kour Randhawa assured that the Mahila Congress would intensify outreach across Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on women-centric programmes and highlighting failures in governance related to law and order and social justice. She said the women’s wing would play an active role in the forthcoming local bodies elections.
Several senior leaders and office bearers, including Santosh Manhas, Praveen Akhtar, Shoba Sharma, Kousar Jan, Shahnaz, Dwarka Choudhary, R S Randhawa and Vijayat Pathania, also addressed the meeting and echoed concerns over women’s security and rights in the Union Territory.
