Pune: Deputy chairperson of Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe, also a senior member of Mahayuti partner Shiv Sena, on Saturday questioned the state women’s commission’s response to the complaint of the elder daughter-in-law of the Hagawane family against her in-laws.After meeting Vaishnavi Hagawane’s parents, Gorhe said, “Before Vaishnavi’s death, the elder daughter-in-law of the Hagawane family had complained to the state women’s commission. Had it directed the police to take strict action, not only would she have got justice, even the current situation would have been different.” The Shiv Sena senior member said experts working for the women’s rights were not being consulted by the state women’s commission. “Former state women’s commission chief Vijay Rahatkar had brought together NGOs working for women’s rights and utilised their experience really well. I feel that the members of the present commission should regularly consult these NGOs to get some expert advice,” Gorhe said.Even NCP members raised questions over their own party member Rupali Chakankar’s performance as the state women’s commission chief. NCP spokesperson Rupali Thombare said, “The issue is so sensitive that we will have to think above politics. It is a fact that people are not satisfied with the response from the state women’s commission. While question over the delay in police action is being raised, the performance of the commission also should be scrutinised.If it had acted strictly over Hagawane’s elder daughter-in-law’s complaint, Vaishnavi would have been alive today.”The opposition members staged demonstrations in Pune and Mumbai, demanding the removal of Chakankar as the chief of the state women’s commission. NCP (SP) member Rohini Khadse has written a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking her replacement.“While heading the commission, Chakankar is also performing the role of a senior functionary of her party. We feel that instead of having a part-time commission chief, the state should have a full-time chief. Therefore, I have demanded that the chief minister should replace Chakankar with a full-time chairperson for the commission,” Khadse said.Chakankar refuted all the charges. She said, “I am not bothered about the opposition’s allegations. As far as the response to the complaint of the elder daughter-in-law of the Hagawane family is concerned, the commission directed the local police station to take action on her complaint in less than 24 hours of receiving it. There was no delay from the commission in responding to it.
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