delhi

Updated: Mar 25, 2017 23:04 IST

BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from west Delhi, Parvesh Verma, on Saturday endorsed the idea of setting up of ‘anti-Romeo squads’ in Delhi on lines of the ones in Uttar Pradesh.

Verma demanded that there should be similar teams in the national capital as women were ‘harassed at night’ and felt insecure. The anti-Romeo squads of Uttar Pradesh have been criticised and accused of moral policing.

Verma, son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, was speaking at BJP’s ‘Panch Parmeshwar Sammelan’ (booth level workers meet) at Ramlila Maidan on Saturday.

Following reports of harassment of couples by squads in UP, chief minister Adityanath Yogi had directed the principal secretary (home) to prepare detailed guidelines to ensure that the police did not act against boys and girls hanging out together with consent.

UP CM @myogiadityanath is doing exemplary work, cow slaughtering units are locked in UP, eveteasers hiding at home:@p_sahibsingh @htTweets — Parvez Sultan (@theparvezsultan) March 25, 2017

“The chief minister of UP Adityanath Yogi is doing exemplary work. It has been only a week, but factories where cow slaughtering was done have been locked. Boys, who would harass girls, are sitting at homes,” Verma claimed.

Rooting for the formation of anti-Romeo cells in Delhi, he said such squads had become imperative for the safety and security of women. “These boys roam around girl’s schools and colleges. Our (BJP’s) district and block level women workers should help police so that anti -Romeo cells can be formed here. Whenever our women — daughters and sisters — venture out at night, they should feel safe,” he said.

Former police commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma, however, said that these days the word Romeo was often confused with couples.

“Don’t confuse the word Romeo for couples. A squad for crackdown on eve teasers, who are Romeos, is required in Delhi. But at the same time, couples who go out with mutual consent should not be bothered. To enforce this, police need to be trained. They need to be told that the purpose was to carry out surprise checks at spots where such harassers often loiter. Sensitisation of the police is absolutely important so that the purpose is not defeated,” former Delhi Police commissioner Sharma said.

The Delhi police said they have several schemes under which police act against eve teasers. “Policemen in plain clothes are posted at universities and outside women colleges as decoys to act against such Romeos. Outside paying guest accommodations, our women officers patrol the roads and ensure that there are no eve teasers,” said an officer.