Uttarakhand govt prohibits women from working beyond 6 pm, BJP slams 'Taliban' diktat

In a bizarre development, the Uttarakhand government has passed an order that prohibits women from working beyond 6 pm in private and government jobs.

The step is being seen as too extreme to curb crimes against women.

The state government is being severly criticised for this regressive approach, and the opposition is objecting to the directive.

The Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna-led state government has reportedly taken the step in the wake of the gang rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi late last month. The woman was repeatedly raped inside a dark tinted glass moving bus, and suffered gruesome injuries. She had to be eventually flown out to Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, but succumbed after a battle for survival of 13 days.

In the wake of the December 16 gangrape incident, there has been a flurry of media revelations regarding incidents of rape across the country.

The reports have prompted several state governments and the central government to fine tune the laws of the country regarding rape and other sexual crimes against women. Several commissions, headed by retired judges, have also been set up to discuss the problem threadbare and to come out with recommendations for change. The police is also under pressure to improve its responses to the general public on issues of law and order as well as crimes.

Congress distances itself from Uttarakhand Govt. order on women, BJP criticises

Uttarakhand government's bizarre decision has invited criticism both from the Congress and the BJP.

Reacting to the state government's decision here on Saturday, Union Waters Resources Minister and Congress leader from Uttarakhand Harish Rawat said: "Issuing such guidelines that when should they (women) go out and till what time they should work is not a fair step. It is not going to work."

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