Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding grooming gangs in the UK, stating that the blame for such crimes cannot be attributed to Asia as a whole, but to “one rogue nation”—Pakistan. This bold statement was echoed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who responded affirmatively on social media, calling Chaturvedi’s comment “true.”
The controversy comes at a time when the UK’s opposition Conservative party is pushing for the establishment of a national inquiry into the sexual abuse of mostly white British girls by men of predominantly Pakistani origin in several northern English towns. These crimes, which have spanned over several decades, have sparked heated discussions and debates across the UK.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, while addressing the issue, took exception to the comments made by UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer had previously claimed that, during his tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) between 2008 and 2013, he was responsible for bringing the first prosecution against an Asian grooming gang. Starmer’s involvement in the issue has come under intense scrutiny, with growing pressure on him to address allegations of mishandling the situation.
The dispute over the grooming gangs has added fuel to the fire of political discourse in the UK. Starmer, who was CPS head during the scandal, has recently rejected calls for a new inquiry, opting instead to focus on implementing the recommendations from a previous seven-year inquiry, which had provided nearly two dozen proposals to tackle the issue.
In addition to the grooming gangs debate, the UK is also focused on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a piece of legislation aimed at protecting vulnerable children. This bill includes a proposal for local authorities to maintain a register of children who are not enrolled in school. This move comes in the wake of the tragic death of 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl Sara Sharif, whose body was found in August 2023 showing signs of severe abuse. Her father and stepmother were convicted of her murder in a case that shook the nation.
While MPs have moved the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill forward, it has stirred debate over the approach to safeguarding children from abuse and ensuring that justice is served for victims.
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