Jagan Opposes Disha System Withdrawal
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly criticised the coalition government’s decision to withdraw the ‘Disha’ system introduced by the previous YSR Congress government. Reacting to the decision, Jagan issued a detailed statement on social media, stating that scrapping the Disha system would be a major setback to the safety and security of women and children in the state.
Disha Was Designed as a Comprehensive Safety System
Jagan said the Disha system was introduced as a comprehensive mechanism to prevent crimes against women, ensure speedy investigation, provide immediate protection to victims, collect forensic evidence and deliver faster justice through special courts. He said the system was designed not merely as a law but as an integrated network covering policing, investigation, forensic support and judicial mechanisms.
Disha App Enabled Quick Police Response
Highlighting the role of the Disha App, Jagan said women could seek immediate police assistance during emergencies by pressing the SOS button or shaking their phones five times. According to him, the system was designed to enable the police to respond within minutes.
Jagan claimed that around 1.51 crore people had downloaded the Disha App and that the police had responded to and resolved 31,607 emergency calls received through the application.
Special Women Police Stations and Ground-Level Security
Jagan said the previous government had established 18 special women police stations across Andhra Pradesh. In addition, around 13,500 women police personnel were deployed through village and ward secretariats to strengthen security at the grassroots level.
He also recalled that 900 two-wheelers and 163 four-wheelers were introduced for dedicated patrolling and to improve the police response to incidents involving women.
Forensic System and Special Courts Strengthened
According to Jagan, the Disha system also focused heavily on scientific investigation of sexual offences. The forensic infrastructure was strengthened in six cities to facilitate the collection and examination of scientific evidence.
He further said that 13 special POCSO courts and 12 special women’s courts were established. A dedicated database containing details of more than 2.17 lakh sexual offenders was also created as part of the system.
Investigation Time Reduced Significantly
Jagan claimed that the implementation of the Disha system resulted in a substantial reduction in the time taken to investigate crimes against women. He said that while investigations into crimes against women took an average of 156 days in 2017, the period had come down to 28 days by 2022.
He further stated that charge sheets were filed within just seven days in 164 rape cases and 378 sexual offence cases. In serious cases, more than 51 percent of the accused were reportedly arrested within 48 hours.
Jagan also claimed that crimes against women had declined by 27 percent by May 2024.
Disha Received 19 National Awards
Jagan said the Disha system had received 19 national awards for its implementation and effectiveness. He stressed that Disha was not merely a law but a comprehensive safety network created to protect women and children.
He questioned the coalition government’s argument that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was sufficient and that there was no need for the Disha system.
How Can BNS Replace Disha Mechanisms, Asks Jagan
Jagan questioned how the BNS could replace the specialised mechanisms created specifically for women under the Disha system. He pointed to the emergency SOS mechanism, special women police stations, women police personnel at the village level, dedicated patrolling teams, forensic infrastructure and special courts.
According to Jagan, these specialised mechanisms were created to provide faster and more effective protection to women and children, and simply relying on the BNS could not automatically replace them.
21-Day Justice Target
Jagan said the Disha system was introduced with the objective of completing investigations into serious crimes against women and children within seven working days, concluding the court proceedings within 14 working days and delivering justice within a total period of 21 days.
He argued that questioning or abandoning this objective would send a wrong message to women and children and could weaken the deterrent effect of the law.
Jagan Demands Immediate Rollback
Jagan warned that withdrawing the Disha system could reduce the fear of the law among criminals and undermine the confidence of victims in the government. He urged the state Cabinet to immediately reconsider and withdraw its decision.
Concluding his statement, Jagan strongly asserted that the Disha system should not be scrapped but protected and strengthened.
“Disha should not be cancelled; it should be protected. It should not be weakened; it should be strengthened further,” Jagan said, criticising the coalition government’s decision.
