Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has stoked a massive controversy after he termed the Jalgaon incident was an ‘entertainment programme’ organised by hostel inmates and gave a clean chit to the Maharashtra police saying that the police officials did not force any women residents to strip dance.
Speaking to the media, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the government had formed a 6-member committee to probe the Jalgaon matter. Terming the ‘strip dance’ as an ‘entertainment program’, Maharashtra Home Minister dismissed reports alleging that Maharashtra police had forced women hostel inmates to dance nude in front of them.
“A 6-member committee formed to probe the Jalgaon matter has submitted its report. The report states that no such incident took place. Only an entertainment program was organised there by the hostel inmates,” said Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
A 6-member committee formed to probe the Jalgaon matter has submitted its report. The report states that no such incident took place. Only an entertainment program was organised there by the hostel inmates: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh pic.twitter.com/F8MTj6VLGu
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2021
On Wednesday, there were reports that some police officials and other hostel employees had forced the residents of a women’s hostel to strip dance at the government-run Ashadeep Hostel in Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
A complaint was also lodged in this regard by a social service organisation with the District Collector. Several videos of the shocking incident were also submitted as proof of the incident. In the complaint, it is was alleged that some police personnel and some other people entered the hostel in the name of investigation and coerced the women to undress and dance. When the girls refused to do so, they were threatened with murder.
The hostel, located in Ganesh Nagar of Jalgaon, was run by the Department of Women and Child Welfare, provides shelter and food to the destitute and oppressed women and girls.
There were complaints of malpractices being committed in the hostel. The incident of police personnel and hostel employees forcing women to undress and perform indecent dance came to light when Jananayak Foundation presidents Feroz Pinjari, Farid Khan and Mangala Sonawane had decided to pay a visit to the hostel and find out more information about the wrongdoings happening in the hostel.
“I have not seen the video,” says Maharashtra Women & Child Development Minister
Meanwhile, Yashomati Thakur, the Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister, said that she had not seen the video yet. Asking the reporters to submit a copy of the video, Thakur claimed that she would assure that nobody will be spared.
Home Minister has ordered a probe and I am personally looking into it too, said Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister.
I haven’t seen the video. If you have a copy of that, please let me see. But I assure you that nobody will be spared, strict action will be taken. Home Minister has ordered a probe & I’m personally looking into it too: Yashomati Thakur, Maharashtra Women & Child Development Min pic.twitter.com/c3qI7JTrHE
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
The Minister responded to the controversy after BJP MLA Shweta Mahale had raised the issue in Maharashtra Assembly.
The Home Minister has also said the government has ordered a probe in the matter and a committee will be formed, and they have been asked to submit a report in two days.