Meenakshi Lekhi calls for more support to Good Samaritan Law

New Delhi: Emphasising on a change in the society's attitude towards women in distress, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi today called for support for the Good Samaritan Law, proposed by fellow party MP Kirron Kher in Parliament.  

“We have got to learn from the Nirbhaya and other cases.  Where are the good samaritans? There was a time when people used to reach out to women in distress but today they keep on putting the blame on the police,” Lekhi said.  The BJP MP and national spokesperson was participating in an event here today to launch a citizen activation and awareness programme.

“The Good Samaritan Law has been brought by a friend of mine in the Parliament as a private member bill, I think we need to get more support towards it,” Lekhi said.  Last week, Kher had introduced in Parliament the Good Samaritan (Protection from Civil and Criminal Liabilities) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2014, to protect good samaritans from civil and criminal liabilities.  

Along with SaveLife Foundation, she had delivered a petition to Union Health Minister J P Nadda on the issue.  The four-week long campaign “Delhi at its best” fronted by the FM channel ‘Radio One' lauched today includes discussions on various issues like road safety, infrastructure and disaster management.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor who was also part of launch described Kher's move as “very healthy” and mentioned that he too had written to the government earlier proposing such a law.

“I had actually... rather naively written to the government proposing a law but my good friend Kirron Kher actually wrote the law, which was probably the right thing to do. She submitted it,” Tharoor said.

He further said that the government had already replied to him stating they would consider their own legislation.  “The government had replied and they said that they are going to consider their own legislation, so I waited for them to do it,” Tharoor said.

Pointing out that a penal law alone cannot bring about the required change; Lekhi said that focus should be on “changing the mindsets.”

The stated objective of the policy is that people need to help others, said the minister.

Author and motivational speaker Shiv Khera, comedian Papa CJ and Angeli Qwatra, Chief mentor at Centre for Disaster Resilient Solutions, were also present.