Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma on Wednesday, April 27 said action will be taken as per law against TDP chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leader Bonda Uma for not appearing before the commission. Naidu and Bonda Uma did not appear before the commission in response to the notice issued to them following an incident on April 23 when they visited a gangrape survivor and her family at a government hospital in Vijayawada. The move had sparked a row.
Padma told mediapersons that Naidu and Bonda Uma were summoned to tell them how to behave with a rape survivor. She said since they have not appeared despite notices, the commission will take opinion from legal experts and proceed accordingly.
The Commission Chairperson had issued notices to Naidu and Bonda Uma for outraging and insulting her modesty while the main opposition party had slammed her for misusing her office to issue the notices when they had gone to the hospital to demand justice for the woman.
Uproarious scenes were witnessed at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Vijayawada when Naidu, who is Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, visited the hospital to meet a woman with intellectual disabilities, who was gangraped by three employees of the hospital.
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. Naidu and Bonda Uma were issued notices by Padma under the AP Women's Commission Act, 1998. Both were directed to appear before the Commission on April 27 to give explanation.
Padma alleged that when she was visiting the hospital to meet the survivor, Naidu's henchmen wantonly created a scene and also used abusive language, outraging and insulting her modesty. The TDP argued that the chairperson does not have the power to issue notices, but Padma insisted that she has and pointed out that the commission issues 50 to 60 notices every week.
Meanwhile, the TDP women's wing staged a protest at the commission's office in Mangalagiri. The protest led by Telugu Mahila President V Anita created a tense situation. The protestors including the survivor's family members demanded stringent action against the culprits.
Anita submitted a memorandum to Padma, seeking details of the action taken in rape cases. The 23-year-old woman was allegedly 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 her complaint about her disappearance led to the shocking incident.