Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sparked a political debate by questioning the state of women’s safety in India and the effectiveness of One Stop Centres (OSCs), alleging that many women in distress are still unable to access timely help.
In a message shared publicly, Gandhi claimed that women seeking protection are being failed by the system. He said, “Women are knocking on doors for help, but the government has shut those doors,” directly attacking the administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He referred to questions he raised in Parliament about the functioning of OSCs, highlighting issues such as centres being inaccessible, lack of staff, and complaints from across the country not being addressed. Gandhi questioned how the government could describe the situation as “satisfactory” despite recurring reports pointing to gaps in services.
Raising financial concerns, he also asked why a small portion of the Women and Child Development Ministry’s funds is being spent on OSCs, and why a significant number of women reportedly do not receive assistance when they seek help. According to him, safety should not be treated as just another scheme but as a fundamental responsibility of the government.
The remarks come after Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha in March 2026, where he sought detailed data on OSC operations, including whether centres are functioning round the clock, the number of women assisted, fund allocation and usage, and vacancies in key positions such as counsellors and medical staff.
Responding to these concerns, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur stated that OSCs operate under the Mission Shakti initiative and are designed to provide integrated support to women facing violence. This includes medical assistance, legal aid, temporary shelter, police facilitation, and counselling services.
The government maintained that since the launch of the scheme in 2015, over 13 lakh women have received support through OSCs across India. It also clarified that the responsibility for implementation lies with state governments and union territories, while the Centre provides funds as per guidelines.
Officials further highlighted that the scheme is regularly monitored through review meetings, field visits, and assessments by bodies such as NITI Aayog. According to the government, independent evaluations have found the scheme to be relevant and effective.
Despite these assurances, Gandhi insisted that the ground reality appears different, arguing that continued reports of inaccessibility and service gaps indicate that the system is not functioning as claimed. The exchange has once again brought women’s safety and welfare infrastructure into the centre of political debate.
