India
-Ruchika Pareek
In
Ahmedabad,
posters
allegedly
linked
to
a
traffic
safety
campaign
have
sparked
controversy.
These
posters,
found
in
certain
city
areas,
advised
women
to
stay
home
to
avoid
rape.
The
opposition
criticised
these
messages,
questioning
women’s
safety
in
Gujarat.
Statements
like
“do
not
attend
late
night
parties,
you
could
be
raped
or
gangraped” were
displayed
on
road
dividers
in
Sola
and
Chandlodia
but
have
since
been
removed.
The
Deputy
Commissioner
of
Police
(Traffic
West),
Neeta
Desai,
clarified
that
the
traffic
police
sponsored
only
road
safety
posters.
She
stated
that
the
controversial
ones
were
created
by
Satarkta
Group,
an
NGO,
without
their
approval.
Desai
explained
that
the
NGO
had
approached
them
for
traffic
awareness
programmes
in
schools
and
colleges
but
did
not
show
these
specific
posters.
AI-generated
summary,
reviewed
by
editors
Controversial
posters
in
Ahmedabad,
allegedly
connected
to
a
traffic
safety
campaign,
advised
women
to
stay
home
to
avoid
rape,
sparking
criticism
regarding
women’s
safety
in
Gujarat,
while
the
Deputy
Commissioner
of
Police
clarified
the
posters
were
not
approved
by
the
traffic
police.
The
Gujarat
Aam
Aadmi
Party
criticized
the
BJP-led
government,
citing
over
6,500
rapes
in
three
years
in
the
state.
Controversial
Posters
Removed
Once
the
issue
was
highlighted,
the
posters
were
promptly
taken
down.
The
Gujarat
Aam
Aadmi
Party
(AAP)
criticised
the
BJP-led
government,
claiming
these
posters
revealed
the
true
state
of
women’s
safety
in
Gujarat.
They
pointed
out
that
despite
talks
of
empowerment,
over
6,500
rapes
and
more
than
36
gang
rapes
occurred
in
the
state
over
three
years.
The
AAP
questioned
whether
women
should
feel
safe
going
out
at
night
in
Ahmedabad.
They
argued
that
while
BJP
leaders
discuss
women’s
safety,
these
posters
reflect
a
different
reality.
The
party’s
statement
highlighted
concerns
about
the
actual
conditions
faced
by
women
in
Gujarat.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: On poster controversy, Safin Hasan, Deputy Police Commissioner, Traffic Branch, says, “Yesterday in Ahmedabad, information was received through media and social media reports that banners had been installed in some areas. These banners feature… pic.twitter.com/ophmfyKO40
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2025“>
Neeta
Desai
further
mentioned
that
Satarkta
Group
had
initially
shown
them
only
traffic-related
materials.
The
controversial
content
was
not
part
of
what
was
presented
to
them
initially.
This
incident
has
raised
significant
questions
about
accountability
and
communication
between
organisations
involved
in
public
campaigns.
Amidst
this
controversy,
there
is
a
growing
demand
for
clarity
on
how
such
messages
were
allowed
to
be
displayed
publicly
without
proper
oversight.
The
incident
underscores
the
need
for
careful
consideration
and
approval
processes
when
addressing
sensitive
topics
like
women’s
safety.
The
situation
has
prompted
discussions
on
ensuring
better
coordination
between
NGOs
and
government
bodies
to
prevent
similar
occurrences
in
future
campaigns.
It
also
highlights
the
importance
of
maintaining
focus
on
genuine
issues
affecting
women’s
safety
rather
than
resorting
to
fear-based
messaging.
