Pune Rajya Sabha MP from the NCP, Vandana Chavan, has asked the government to take steps to criminalise marital rape. Chavan, who was speaking during the zero hour of Parliament on Monday, said this was not only a demand from different women's organisations, but also the norm as laid down by Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW). Chavan said the central government was not willing to criminalise marital rape as it was argued that it would damage the institution of marriage. During its first term, the Narendra Modi-led government had opposed the move saying the concept could not be suitably applied in India, she added. She also said across the world, there had been a phenomenal increase in cases of domestic violence during the Covid-19 lockdown, and that India was not an exception. The National Commission for Women had acknowledged this, which has again brought the issue back in focus, she added. Chavan further said India happened to be one of the 36 countries yet to criminalise marital rape.
