A notice served to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu by the state women's commission following an incident on Friday, April 22, when he had gone to meet a gangrape survivor at a government hospital in Vijayawada has sparked a row. Women's Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma issued notices to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president Naidu and another TDP leader Bonda Uma for “outraging and insulting her modesty” while the main opposition party has slammed her for misusing her office to issue notices when they had gone to the hospital to demand justice for the survivor.
Uproarious scenes were witnessed at the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada when Naidu, who is Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, visited the hospital to meet a woman with intellectual disabilities, who was gangraped, allegedly by three employees of the hospital. Vasireddy Padma, who was already at the hospital to meet the survivor, had to face an angry protest by TDP supporters, who raised slogans asking her to go back. There was reportedly an argument between Naidu and Padma.
By evening, both Naidu and Bonda Uma were issued notices by Padma under the AP Women's Commission Act, 1998. Both have been directed to appear before the commission on April 27 to give an explanation on the incident. The notice issued to the TDP chief accuses him of visiting the hospital with his “henchmen” to create a tense atmosphere and making patients panic. The notice goes on to say that Naidu “also used abusive language with tyranny by outraging and insulting modesty of the Hon'ble Chairperson, A.P. Women's Commission and misbehaved being a responsible person (sic)." A similar notice was issued to Bonda Uma, a former MLA.
The TDP has reacted strongly to the notices. "Will you issue notices demanding justice to the survivor?" asked Uma. He said the TDP would approach the High Court and other constitutional institutions against what he called misuse of powers by the chairperson of the commission at the behest of the ruling YSRCP. He said they would demand removal of Padma from the post.
Meanwhile, Padma also addressed a news conference on Saturday to defend her action. She alleged that the TDP leaders behaved with the survivor in an inhuman manner. She maintained that the commission has the powers to issue notices. "Notices are not new. Every week, the commission issues such notices to 50-60 persons," she said, adding that they can't keep quiet if TDP politicises an issue relating to a serious crime.
The police had earlier said that the 23-year-old mentally challenged woman was gangraped by three contract employees of the Government General Hospital by confining her to a room in the hospital for 30 hours. The survivor's family alleged that lack of action by the police on a complaint after she went missing, led to the shocking incident.
After Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered stringent action in the case, the Director General of Police suspended two police officers of Nunna Police Station for dereliction of duty. The Chief Minister announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the survivor and directed the Health Department to take strong action against hospital officials found negligent in discharge of their duties. Police have arrested all the three accused, who have also been dismissed from their jobs at the hospital.