'134 MPs & MLAs have cases of crime against women'

New Delhi, Aug 10: A total of 134 sitting MPs and MLAs have cases related to crimes against women, which includes 21 MPs and 113 MLAs. 

Seven BJP members are facing rape charges, maximum in any party, a report revealed on Thursday. 

In a report, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) said that of 762 sitting MPs and 4,001 sitting MLAs analysed, 134 sitting MPs or MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women. 

The report said that among the 134 sitting MPs or MLAs with declared cases related to crimes against women, 21 are sitting MPs and 113 are sitting MLAs. 

The report also pointed out that among various parties, BJP has the highest number of sitting MPs or MLAs with 44 members against whom cases of crime against women have been registered. 

In the second spot is the Congress with 25 followed by AAP with 13 sitting MPs or MLAs who have declared cases related to crimes against women. 

The report said: "Of 134 sitting MPs and MLAs who have declared cases related to crimes against women, 18 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to rape. Among these, 18 sitting MPs and MLAs with declared cases related to rape, four are sitting MPs and 14 are sitting MLAs." 

Among the parties, the BJP has the highest number of sitting MPs and MLAs with cases of rape registered. 

It said that cases of rape have been registered against seven BJP MPs and MLAs, while six Congress MPs and MLAs are facing cases of rape. 

It said that 134 sitting MPs/MLAs have declared cases of Crimes against women such as charges related to assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section-354), kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc. 

(IPC Section-366), rape (IPC Section-376), husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty (IPC Section-498A), buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc. (IPC Section-373) and word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (IPC Section-509). 

The report also said that among the states, West Bengal has the highest number of sitting MPs and MLAs facing declared cases of crimes among women. 

The report said that 26 MPs and MLAs from West Bengal, followed by Maharashtra and Odisha each with 14 sitting MPs and MLAs, who have declared cases related crimes against women. While with one case each, Rajasthan, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh have the lowest number of MPs and MLAs with declared cases of crime against women. 

The ADR and NEW analysed 4,763 out of 4,809 election affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs. It said that the report analysed 762 out of 776 affidavits of sitting MPs and 4,001 out of 4,033 sitting MLAs from all the 28 states and two union territories of India in the last five years.