AIPWA West Bengal State Committee holds press conference demanding the resignation of the National Women’s Commission chairperson, and an impartial, independent commission.
As a part of national campaign against the National Women’s Commission’s BJP-leaning bias; silence, and inaction in the face of recent incidents of violence against women across the country, AIPWA West Bengal State Committee holds press conference demanding the resignation of the National Women’s Commission chairperson, and an impartial, independent commission.
Press Statement, June 6, 2025, Kolkata
The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) strongly condemns the National Women’s Commission’s biased conduct, silence, and subservience to the BJP amid the ongoing incidents of gender-based violence across India. AIPWA demands the immediate resignation of the NCW chairperson and the formation of an independent and impartial women’s commission.
The National Women’s Commission along with various state women’s commissions are increasingly acting in favor of the ruling party and its political agenda. It is well known that the NCW remained completely silent during the Lok Sabha elections regarding BJP-supported candidate Prajwal Revanna’s rape charges and the repeated crimes of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh. Recently, despite nationwide criticism of the Haryana Women’s Commission’s motivated and religiously biased complaint against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, the NCW maintained total silence. At the same time, the commission took no action against BJP minister Vijay Shah’s communal and misogynistic remarks targeting Col. Sofia Qureshi in Madhya Pradesh.
The NCW did not stand by the women who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. It remained silent even as Hindutva trolls targeted women advicating fir peace and justice and subjected them to horrific troll, abuse and humiliation. From Chhattisgarh to Manipur, the NCW has been entirely mute on the killings, rapes, and atrocities against Adivasi and minority women. Even when Manipuri women filed complaints with the NCW about the brutal incident of women being paraded naked, the commission took no action.
Meanwhile, in non-BJP-ruled states like West Bengal, the NCW becomes hyperactive to serve the BJP’s political agenda. In Sandeshkhali, it echoed the BJP’s demand for President’s Rule. In Murshidabad, under Chairperson Vijaya Kishor Rahatkar’s leadership, the NCW delegation spoke only to women from Hindu neighborhoods while completely ignoring Muslim victims in its report.
Former NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma was the BJP’s Haryana media in-charge. The current chairperson, Vijaya Kishor Rahatkar, was the BJP Mahila Morcha’s national president. Under her leadership, the commission functions as nothing more than a BJP mouthpiece.
In West Bengal, TMC leader Anubrata Mondal threatened a police officer over telephone spewing hatred and misogynistic slurs against women. Yet, the State Women’s Commission remains silent.
An independent, impartial, and accountable women’s commission is urgently needed to combat the violence, oppression, and discrimination faced by women across the country.
From June 9 to 12, AIPWA will organize nationwide protests demanding:
- Immediate resignation of BJP mouthpiece and current NCW chairperson Vijaya Kishor Rahatkar.
- Full autonomy and democratization of the NCW and state commissions to ensure impartial, constitutional functioning.
- Prompt investigation and call for justice by Central and State Women’s Commissions into all cases of sexual violence against women, regardless of political affiliations.
- Democratic restructuring of commissions, with regular consultations with women’s organizations to combat rape culture and promote gender equality.
Indrani Dutta
State Secretary
All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)
West Bengal State Committee
#AIPWA
