Delhi’s ex- Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday took a jibe at her successor Arvind Kejriwal saying he perhaps did not have proper understanding of issues of women safety in Delhi and she had never expected him to address this issue seriously.
On Tuesday, Dikshit came to meet Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to raise the issue of the failing state of the women helpline number 181 launched by her in tenure as Chief Minister after the Nirbhaya gang-rape protests.
“I have spoken to the Home Minister on this…I have also written to the Lieutenant Governor to ensure the helpline does not die,” Dikshit said, amidst reports that the employees manning the helpline have not received their salaries for months and have started to leave.
“It was a noble and good initiative…the helpline got 7 lakh calls. But Kejriwal probably did not have a proper understanding of the issue…I never expected him to do anything for women safety like he never delivered on other promises he had made to people,” Dikshit said, after meeting Shinde.
She said she was “pained and disappointed” that the helpline was reportedly on the verge of closure. “This helpline was not a political step…but it has been neglected. I hope and pray it is revived,” Dikshit said.