Ironic it may sound, but crime against women in Uttar Pradesh has increased in Mayawati’s regime — an indication that having a woman as a chief minister does not mean that the state is safe for the fairer sex.

After coming to power in May 2007, Mayawati had promised better law and order and elimination of crime.

She had alleged that criminal elements thrived in the previous regime because the Mulayam Singh Yadav government patronised lawbreakers.

The figures from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) justify her contention to an extent.

In 2006, Uttar Pradesh had topped the list of lawless states. But the latest figures expose a chink in the chief minister’s armour. Though crime has dropped marginally, a lot of it is directed against women and dowry deaths, kidnapping and eve teasing have increased substantially.

The UP Police, however, are not convinced by the NCRB figures.

Calling them “incorrect”, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Brijlal said: “There are occasions when a crime is found false and the case is expunged. But if the figures have already been sent to the NCRB, it reflects in their records. Our website gives the correct figures as we delete the expunged cases.”

Unfortunately, even the figure displayed by the UP police on its website shows a marked increase in crime against women.

Principal Secretary (Home) JN Chamber offered a different reason for the crime figures.

“As soon as the new government came to power, a drive to register FIRs was launched. It continued for a month and officials were instructed to lodge the FIRs of those crimes which had taken place in the previous regime, but were not recorded by the police,” Chamber said.