Chidambaram insensitive on women's issues: Brinda Karat

In the aftermath of the Guwahati molestation incident, CPM leader Brinda Karat has blamed Home Minister P Chidambaram for failing to modernise laws for safety of women, saying that he has been so involved in vote-bank politics as to be insensitive to crimes against women.

Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, the CPM politburo member criticised the way the UPA government had handled issues concerning women's security.

Below is the edited transcript of the excerpt from the interview:

In the aftermath of the Guwahati molestation, the CPM leader has blamed the Home Minister for being busy with vote-bank politics.

Karan Thapar: For eight years, the UPA government has been petitioned unsuccessfully by women groups who have been demanding toughening of the law and there's been no response. And yet Mr Chidambaram doesn't miss an opportunity to talk about national security. Do you think his understanding of women's security is somewhat different?

Brinda Karat: Absolutely. There's no doubt about it and I think Mr Chidambaram on many occasions has displayed great insensitivity to the different types of crimes that women face and I believe, for example, this whole issue of honour killings and honour crimes, Mr Chidambaram doesn't seem to think that you need a stand alone law for that. Across Parliament there is a consensus on this but the Home Minister doesn't think so. Why? Perhaps because of vote bank politics. Because the so-called khap panchayats produce votes where they need them.

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