'Don't Party, Avoid Rape': Posters Warning Women To 'Stay Home' Trigger Fury In Ahmedabad

Last Updated:August 02, 2025, 15:07 IST

DCP (Traffic West) Neeta Desai and ACP (Traffic Admin) Shailesh Modi admitted the posters were installed without proper vetting of their content

The posters carried stark messages like, "Going to a late-night party can invite rape or gangrape" (Source:X/@hdraval9)

Posters warning women that attending late-night parties or venturing into deserted areas could “invite rape or gangrape" have triggered widespread outrage in Ahmedabad, leading to their swift removal and a public apology from police officials.

The controversial posters, displayed across parts of the city, carried stark messages like, “Going to a late-night party can invite rape or gangrape" and “Do not go with friends in dark and deserted areas, you may be raped or gangraped". The language of the campaign was quickly condemned by women’s rights advocates and local residents, who accused the authorities of victim-blaming instead of focusing on perpetrators.

After images of the posters circulated on social media, sparking furious reactions, police hurriedly took them down. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West) Neeta Desai and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic Admin) Shailesh Modi admitted the posters were installed without proper vetting of their content. According to them, the posters had been suggested by an organisation named ‘Satarkata’ as part of a traffic and safety awareness campaign, but the police claimed they were unaware of the full text.

“We never allowed such language," ACP (Traffic) NN Chaudhary stated bluntly.

Despite the swift removal, many locals expressed anger over what they see as entrenched attitudes that blame women for crimes committed against them. Bhoomi Patel, a resident of Ghatlodia, said, “Such messages blame women, while the real responsibility lies with the system." A fitness trainer in Bodakdev described the posters as “moral policing" that “make a mockery of women’s safety".

Women across Ahmedabad voiced their frustration, saying the posters revealed a mentality that shifts the burden of safety onto potential victims instead of addressing security failures. “These posters expose a mindset that blames victims and lets institutions responsible for safety off the hook," a woman living in Nehru Nagar remarked.

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August 02, 2025, 15:07 IST

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