UP CM Adityanath directs anti-Romeo teams to become more active

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Sunday directed the state’s anti-Romeo teams, which were introduced with the purported aim of preventing sexual harassment of women, to become more active in all districts.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government had launched the anti-Romeo teams in 2017 when Adityanath became the chief minister. The teams, consisting of police personnel, mostly targeted boys found outside girls’ colleges and those allegedly involved in harassing women.

However, they also faced criticism for harassing several couples in consensual relationships.

In March, UP Police chief Prashant Kumar said that till February, the teams had checked more than 4.5 crore persons at 1.8 crore locations and filed over 24,000 cases, reported The Indian Express.

Media reports have shown that in the past, the teams have taken a range of extra-legal actions, including extortion in exchange for persons to be released and public shaming rituals such as sit-ups, head-shavings and blackening faces.

On Sunday, Adityanath said that the “safety of women and daughters remained a top priority” of the government and announced that a new phase of Mission Shakti would be launched during the Hindu festival of Navratri, starting September 22.

Adityanath had launched the Mission Shakti campaign in October 2020 following widespread criticism and outrage after the Hathras gangrape and murder case. The chief minister had claimed that the campaign was meant...

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