With ‘Laapataa Ladies’ campaign, Congress takes aim at Eknath Shinde government.
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Posters put up across Maharashtra have ‘Laapataa Ladies’ written on them along with a short sentence in Marathi: “64,000 women missing in a year.”
In anticipation of the Maharashtra election, the Congress party has initiated a campaign titled ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ inspired by the film directed by Kiran Rao.
This campaign aims to highlight the performance of Eknath Shinde’s government regarding women’s safety. Throughout the state, posters featuring the phrase ‘Laapataa Ladies’ prominently display a brief statement in Marathi: “64,000 women missing in a year.” The posters also include silhouettes that resemble Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The film, Laapataa Ladies, which premiered last year, received critical acclaim for its anti-patriarchal message conveyed through a comedy-drama format. It has been selected as India’s official submission for the Oscars.
Based on a statement made by Devendra Fadnavis..
Posters display the phrase “64,000 women missing in a year” in Marathi. This assertion originates from a statement made by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in August.
The figure cited by the Congress regarding missing women is derived from remarks made by Devendra Fadnavis during a session of the state assembly in August. He stated, “Women’s safety is a significant concern for the nation.
In Maharashtra, approximately 64,000 girls and women are reported missing annually, with similar figures observed during the Covid pandemic in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, there were 61,000 registered cases. Of these, 87% have returned home, and in 2022, 86% of the missing girls and women were also found. We are actively working to reduce this percentage.”
Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana..
In anticipation of the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, the state government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been actively engaging with women voters throughout the region. The coalition partners, including Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and the BJP, have been prominently promoting the “Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana” during their campaign rallies.
This income support initiative is designed for eligible women aged 21 to 65 years, whose families earn an annual income of less than ₹2.5 lakh, providing them with financial assistance of up to ₹1,500 per month.
Additionally, the Women Empowerment Mission, which was inaugurated by the Shinde government in October of the previous year, seeks to consolidate all state and Union government schemes aimed at the socio-economic advancement of women into a single platform.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend an event related to this initiative on October 5 in Thane.
Badlapur sexual abuse case, wherein two schoolgirls in Maharashtra’s Badlapur were sexually abused..
The Congress campaign is launched in response to the recent sexual abuse incident involving two schoolgirls in Badlapur, Maharashtra, perpetrated by a contractual sweeper at their school. This initiative appears to be a pointed criticism of Devendra Fadnavis, who oversees the state’s Home portfolio. “Each year, approximately 64,000 women and girls are reported missing in Maharashtra, which raises significant alarm,” stated Congress leader Dhivya Marunthiah in a post on X. “The displayed posters unequivocally indicate that the Home Minister’s efforts have been utterly ineffective.
This represents a governmental failure, resulting in a compromised safety for women in Maharashtra and a breakdown of law and order within the state,” the statement asserted. Additionally, the statement emphasized that the posters highlight the tenure of Devendra Fadnavis, which the Congress party characterized as a total failure regarding women’s safety. “The public’s call for his resignation is intensifying with each passing day,” it concluded.
