Rekha Sharma ends term as NCW chairperson amid controversy

The tenure of Rekha Sharma, the polarising National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson, came to an end on Tuesday, 6 August. Her tenure was often marked by controversy, and allegations that she ignored atrocities committed against women, particularly in states governed by the BJP.

She had been a member of the commission since August 2015, then held additional charge as chairperson from 29 September 2017 before becoming its chief in 2018. Prior to her appointment as chairperson of the NCW, Sharma was the BJP district secretary and media in-charge for Haryana.

In March 2024, Sharma stirred controversy by accusing American journalist David Josef Volodzko of "defaming" India. Volodzko had shared instances of sexual harassment faced by tourists in India, including retweeting a Spanish vlogger's account of being gang-raped in Jharkhand while travelling with her husband.

Sharma responded by alleging that Volodzko was fabricating the claims because he had not reported the incidents to the police. She posted, "Did you ever report the incident to the police? If not, then you are completely irresponsible. Writing only on social media and defaming the entire country is not a good choice." This led several users to accuse Sharma of "victim-blaming" and call for her resignation.

Sharma has been criticised for insensitivity, particularly owing to delays or inadequate responses to sexual violence cases, leading to insufficient justice and support for victims.

Ahead of the May 2024 general elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Sharma, accusing her of being "one of the major conspirators" in the Sandeshkhali incidents, where ruling party leaders in West Bengal were alleged to have committed sexual abuse. The TMC claimed that Sharma and a BJP leader were involved in serious offenses, including forgery, cheating, fraud, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy against innocent women in Sandeshkhali and the electorate in general.

Amidst the alleged "obscene videos" case linked to JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, Sharma claimed the NCW had taken a strong stance by expressing concern about the incident and had written to Karnataka’s deputy general of police, Alok Mohan, regarding the ‘obscene videos’ case. The Commission has raised questions about the authenticity of the videos and the possibility of a larger network involved in exploiting women.

In July 2023, following the outbreak of violence in Manipur, Sharma made a discreet visit to the state to meet two of the three victims of sexual violence that occurred on 4 May. This was the first visit by any union government representative since the violence began over 80 days earlier.

Despite several tribal women from Manipur writing to the Commission in June 2023 to request aid for victims and survivors, Sharma only took action after a video of the 4 May incident, showing two women being paraded naked by a mob, went viral on 19 July.

In October 2020, Sharma stirred controversy when she met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai to discuss issues such as "rising cases of Love Jihad," even though her agency had stated it did not maintain specific data on such complaints. At the time, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister was Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena.

During the same visit, Sharma also addressed the rise in sexual assaults on patients and doctors in hospitals, calling for CCTV cameras to be installed. She referenced at least 11 cases of molestation involving Covid-19 positive women and urged hospitals to perform thorough background checks on new staff.

Additionally, Sharma noted that 188 cases under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act were still pending in the state. She emphasised that these cases should ideally be resolved within three months, as the Act addresses sexual crimes against children.

In October 2020, Sharma faced strong social media backlash after she called the Noida police's handling of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's visit to Hathras "unfortunate" and requested an explanation. Congress supporters criticised her for not taking stronger action, while BJP supporters took issue with her addressing the matter at all.

Sharma also came under fire for old tweets from 2011 to 2016 that contained offensive remarks about Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Gandhi family. She claimed her Twitter account had been hacked and had even wished rape upon a man's family. Additionally, she criticized PM Narendra Modi in a tweet, calling him "a deaf and mute person whose life revolves around mentally challenged women."

During the lockdown, the NCW set up a helpline for increased domestic violence reports. Despite media reports linking the rise in cases to the NCW, Sharma claimed that the increase in complaints was due to better reporting, not a rise in actual incidents.

Sharma also dismissed concerns about the unspent Nirbhaya Fund, stating that it wasn’t the NCW's responsibility to follow up on various schemes, despite Section 10 of the NCW Act, 1990 requiring the NCW to make reports and recommendations for women's safeguards.

In 2018, after a Thomson Reuters survey labelled India as the most dangerous country for women, Sharma rejected the finding, suggesting that complaints of sexual violence were often made for compensation or property disputes. She also remarked that increased funding for gangrape cases in Uttar Pradesh led to a spike in complaints from similar areas.

Before her appointment as NCW chairperson, Sharma proposed abolishing confessions in churches to prevent potential blackmailing of women, a stance that the government quickly distanced itself from. Junior Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, from Kerala, clarified that the "Centre has no connection with the stand taken by Sharma”.