Ahmedabad: A controversy has erupted in Ahmedabad after posters allegedly linked to a Gujarat Traffic Police drive surfaced with messages asking women to stay home to avoid rape.
The posters, which appeared in parts of the city, carried alarming warnings such as, “Don’t attend late-night parties, you may be raped or gang-raped” and “Don’t go to dark, deserted areas with your friend, do you know if she will be raped or gang-raped?”
The posters sparked outrage, with opposition parties and women’s rights groups accusing the state government of promoting victim-blaming instead of ensuring women’s safety.
Critics also questioned the Gujarat government’s claims of women empowerment, pointing to rising sexual crime statistics in the state.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West) Nita Desai denied that the controversial posters were part of any official campaign. She clarified that the traffic police had only supported road safety awareness initiatives and had not approved or seen the posters related to women’s safety.
“The NGO ‘Satrakta Group’ had approached us to conduct traffic awareness programmes in educational institutions. We were shown only road safety posters. These offensive posters were pasted without our knowledge or consent,” Desai said, adding that the posters were removed immediately after the issue was flagged.
Opposition leaders pointed out that over 6,500 cases of rape and 36 cases of gang rape had been reported in Gujarat in the past three years, with an average of more than five such incidents being registered daily.
