Women's safety our top priority: PM

Navsari: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government has given topmost priority to women's safety and framed stricter laws and rules to prevent crimes against them, besides making a provision for capital punishment to those indulging in heinous crimes like rape.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era criminal law (Indian Penal Code), has strengthened the legal provisions related to women's safety, and made filing of complaints easier and delivery of justice faster, he said. Addressing a huge gathering at Vansi Borsi village in Navsari district of Gujarat on International Women's Day, Modi said that India is walking on the path of women-led development for rapid progress of the country. "When a girl returns (home) late, her parents ask questions. But they don't do the same when a boy comes late...They should do it. In the past decade, we have given women's safety the highest priority, and in order to prevent crimes against them, we have made stricter rules and laws," the PM said.

"My government changed the law to introduce capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape," he said. To ensure swift justice in serious crimes against women, the government has set up fast-track courts, he said, adding that around 800 courts have been approved across the country, most of which are now operational. "The newly-implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which wiped out the colonial law, further strengthened provisions related to women's safety. A separate chapter has been added in it to address crimes against women and children in new criminal laws," he said. Victims facing delay in justice was a common grievance earlier. But in order to address this, the new law mandates that charges in cases of heinous crimes, like rape, be framed within 60 days and verdicts delivered within 45 days, he added. The new laws allow for e-FIRs to be filed from anywhere, making it easier for the police to take immediate action. Under the provision of zero FIR, any woman can file an FIR at any police station if she faces atrocities, the prime minister said. The police can now record the statements of rape victims through audio-visual medium, which has been legally recognised, he added.