151 sitting Indian lawmakers face rape, other sexual assault charges

As many as 151 sitting members of parliament and members of legislative assemblies in India have declared cases related to crimes against women in their election affidavits, with West Bengal leading the list.

A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals the findings amid nationwide protests over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata and the sexual assault of two children in Thane.

The ADR examined 4,693 out of 4,809 affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs submitted to the Election Commission of India between 2019 and 2024. The report identified 16 MPs and 135 MLAs with cases involving crimes against women.

West Bengal tops the list with 25 lawmakers facing such charges, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 21 and Odisha with 17. The report also reveals that 16 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to rape under Indian Penal Code section 376, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and can extend to life imprisonment. Among these, two are MPs and 14 are MLAs.

The charges include repeated offenses against the same victim, highlighting the severity of these cases.

Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of representatives with declared cases related to crimes against women, totaling 54 MPs and MLAs. The Congress follows with 23, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17. Both the BJP and Congress have five sitting lawmakers each facing rape charges.

In response to these alarming findings, the ADR has issued strong recommendations, urging political parties to avoid giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds, particularly those accused of rape and other crimes against women. The report also calls for the fast-tracking of court cases against MPs and MLAs, as well as ensuring professional and thorough investigations by the police.

Source: NDTV