Following the rape of a 25-year-old woman, the Delhi government banned the Uber cab company on Monday.
On Friday night, the woman was raped by a driver working with Uber, a US-based ride sharing service, when she was returning from a party in Vasant Vihar in south Delhi to her home in Inderlok in north Delhi.
The incident comes at a time when the national capital marks two years of a horrific gangrape of a woman inside a bus. The latest incident sets back the issue of safety for hundreds of women in Delhi who use public transport everyday.
In her statement to the police, the girl reportedly said that she fell asleep on the way and woke up to find the driver in the back seat. "I tried to push him away and looked around to find the car at a desolate spot. He slapped me a few times and scratched me on the face and neck during the scuffle. When I tried to scream, he pressed my mouth and threatened to kill me," she said.
Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh has called for a ban on Uber. "I came to the police station to see what's being done about the case, the girl is traumatised. The cab company in question should be banned, gender sensitisation should be taught," she said.
Political blame game over the rape is underway.
“This is very unfortunate and these kind of incidents keep happening. The government should take up their responsibility. I don’t know why the Lieutenant General in Delhi is silent. What is the police commissioner doing? It is painful when these kinds of incidents happen. And the feeling of security is finished for women,” Congress leader Rashid Alvi told the ANI newswire.
“What kind of a high alert is this in Delhi that a girl got raped in a cab? It is condemnable," Aam Aadmi Party’s Rakhi Birla said.
BJP Spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao promised quick action. “These incidents keep happening in Delhi. This is very unfortunate. The public will have to be very vigilant and any kind of negligence from the police will not be tolerated,” he said.
Messages of outrage have flooded Twitter since the weekend. For many women, the Uber rape harks back to the chilling reality that hit home after the Delhi gang rape: it could have been me.
When was Delhi safe for women!!! When!
— Deepti Sachdeva (@DeeptiSachdeva_) December 8, 2014
Any comments from the guy heading #Uber in the US? Curious, because they care #UberRape
— Vani Taneja (@vaaniverse) December 8, 2014
The #UberRape accused had spent 7 months in Tihar on charges of Rape. How did @Uber not know this!!!!! HOW!!
— Deepti Sachdeva (@DeeptiSachdeva_) December 8, 2014
Exhausted of outraging about women's safety in India, for now I'm genuinely at a loss: How do we go places? How the heck do we stay safe? :(
— Rega Jha (@RegaJha) December 7, 2014
Meru's drivers are rude, Ola's drivers are late, Uber's drivers are rape-y. Hello Goodwill Taxi Stand & ancient cars?
— Meenakshi Madhavan (@reddymadhavan) December 7, 2014
Some facts and questions to police and Govt regarding #Uber cab rape:
First: Why isn't safe public transport in... http://t.co/dG2sX1ASha
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) December 7, 2014
Uber tragic news. Copy edited three stories on the rape and heard women colleagues pretty much decide they will never stay out late again :(
— Sowmiya Ashok (@sowmiyashok) December 6, 2014
Another December another shocking rape case. The same old question had risen again. To wat extent are woman safe #Delhi#Uber
— Saakshi™ (@Crimson_Bud) December 6, 2014
Uber's involvement in the rape case has just made all the cab rides I advocated to my female friends, questionable. Is nothing safe anymore?
— Mayank Jain (@Mayank1029) December 6, 2014
Scary details about the alleged rape in a Uber cab - the driver/ car couldn't be tracked!?! Aren't these cabs supposed to have GPS apps?
— Shilpa Kannan (@shilpakannan) December 6, 2014