‘Suraksha’ versus ‘Disha’: In Andhra Pradesh, TDP & YSRCP fight over women’s safety app

The Jagan government had passed the Disha Act on December 19, 2019, following the rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad in November 2019. The app, popular in Andhra Pradesh, had features like an SOS button which would alert the closest police patrol car or by shaking the phone five times.

Sources said that the N Chandrababu Naidu government is not impressed with the Disha app “as women had stopped using it to report crimes. Making the announcement Friday, Home Minister V Anitha said that the TDP-led NDA government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women, and the new mobile app can be used “even to report stalking and harassment on social media”.

The new app would be launched on March 8 to coincide with the International Women’s Day.

At a meeting attended by DGP Harish Kumar Gupta and others, the Home Minister also discussed the creation of a women’s protection wing that will act on complaints received through the Suraksha app. “Strict action would be taken against anyone using abusive and insulting language towards women on social media,” Anitha said. “As part of the plan to increase women’s safety, specially trained surveillance teams of women police will be posted in all districts to monitor safety at certain public spaces”.

YSRCP spokesperson Putta Shiva Shankar Reddy Saturday criticised the government for rendering the Disha app ineffective.

“The TDP government claims to be tough on crimes against women but it has made the hugely popular Disha app ineffective and has turned a blind eye towards rising crimes against women,” he said. “The Disha app, which has been downloaded by over 1.5 crore users in the state, offers immediate assistance to women in distress. What is the need for introducing a new Suraksha app when Disha, along with dedicated police stations and vehicles, already exists. I urge the government to utilize these resources effectively instead of resorting to duplicative efforts.”

Anitha dismissed the criticism saying that the Suraksha app will have more features to report to all kinds of crimes including stalking and harassment online in real time.