YSRCP's Taneti Vanitha Criticises AP Cabinet's Decision to Scrap Disha System

Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Taneti Vanitha has strongly criticised the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet's decision to abolish the Disha system, calling it a serious setback to the safety and security of women and children in the state.

Speaking at a media conference in Tadepalligudem, Vanitha said the Disha system, introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had become an effective mechanism for ensuring quick police response to women in distress. She alleged that the coalition government was dismantling institutions created for women's safety due to political vendetta rather than administrative necessity.

Highlighting the achievements of the initiative, Vanitha claimed that the Disha App had been downloaded by nearly 1.5 crore women and young girls and had helped provide emergency assistance in around 31,000 cases. She also recalled that the previous YSRCP government established 18 Disha Police Stations, special POCSO courts, women's courts, and forensic laboratories to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of crimes against women and children.

The former minister accused the present government of showing greater interest in renaming welfare schemes and public systems than in improving law and order. Referring to Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, she alleged that the minister had first mocked the Disha App, later renamed it as the Shakti App, and was now overseeing the complete scrapping of the system. According to Vanitha, the name of the platform was less important than preserving an effective safety mechanism for women.

Vanitha also alleged that the Home Department had failed to provide adequate security to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy despite his Z-Plus security status. She criticised remarks allegedly describing youths attending his tours as a "ganja batch" and questioned why no cases had been registered against TDP leader Bonda Uma over alleged attacks on Malladi Vishnu and YSRCP workers during protests over alleged DSC recruitment irregularities.

Citing recent incidents involving women and children, Vanitha urged the government to reconsider its decision to abolish the Disha system and asserted that the YSRCP would restore the Disha system if it returned to power in Andhra Pradesh.