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No Fear No Favour

Anti-Romeo Squad in Uttar Pradesh-Majnu’s Beware 

BJP’s election campaign had a lot of agendas which they are finally implementing. Few days after Adityanath took charge as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the government started cracking down the slaughter houses.

There was another promise which they made was to overcome the ‘Road Side Romeos’ by making an anti-Romeo squad. The main purpose of this squad is to tackle the everyday eve-teasing and harassment of the women in the state against eve-teasing and ensure the safety of the women. 

 ‘Romeo’ is considered to be a symbol of love and romance. But in India, the name itself is degraded and has now associated with stalkers or eve teasers. And hence, the name of the squad.

 UP Police had ordered to form anti – Romeo squads in 11 districts of Lucknow zone. These squads will be monitored by the IG, Lucknow.  “Through this squad, we are not trying to harass people but we are trying to take action against those who are harassing the girls,” said Javeed Ahmad, DGP, Uttar Pradesh. 

Until now, three men were arrested in Lucknow yesterday. In Pilibhit, the anti-Romeo squad had arrested five alleged eve-teasers on Tuesday. In Meerut, too, alleged eve-teasers were detained by police who were conducting an awareness drive about the squad outside schools and colleges.

“In a bid to check incidents of eve-teasing and passing of comments on women and girls, anti-Romeo dals will be constituted at the police station levels and action under the Goonda Act will be taken against wrongdoers,” said IG (Lucknow Zone) A. Satish Ganesh.

While campaigning in UP election Amit Shah had said in Meerut that the BJP, if voted to power, would form anti-Romeo squads to check eve-teasing. He also promised that in every college there will be anti-Romeo squads which would allow girls to study without fear.  

 But is this really the Truth? Are the squads just to control eve-teasing? The answer is given by BJP national co-convener Sunil Bharala, has said during the election campaign that anti-Romeo squads will also take action against love jihad. “In love jihad, innocent girls are targeted and lured. To ensure their safety, anti-Romeo squads will be formed,” Bharala said. 

However, on anti-Romeo squads, the five-time MP from Gorakhpur had said the force would work towards restoring the pride of women.   

 Many of whom the anti-Romeo squad has acted have alleged that such actions are nothing but examples of harassing people and moral policing society.

According to a report printed in a newspaper, a boy who was standing outside a college in Meerut to meet a friend was given a warning by the police. The boy was quoted as saying that the police did not know why he was waiting outside the college and that “for them (UP police) any young boy on a bike is a majnu“. 

By – Parul Kulshrestha

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