Opposition leaders across parties have lashed out at the BJP after an affidavit revealed that the Gujarat administration had batted for the release of the Bilkis Bano rape convicts. The state government had told the Supreme Court that the 11 convicts were released since they completed 14 years in prison and their behaviour was found to be good. It also said that the the Centre approved their release.
“A matter of respect for women from the Red Fort but in reality the support of the ‘rapists’. The difference between Prime Minister’s promise and intention is clear, PM has only cheated women,” tweeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday morning.
“This is truly the hopeless state India’s women are in when seeking justice from the society and its law-keepers. Shameful. Bilkis Bano the government failed you, it abdicated its responsibility to ensure justice,” tweeted Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
“Bilkis Bano should get justice and her rapists should be put behind bars again,” asserted AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan.
Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao too, took to Twitter to lash out at the Centre.
The Gujarat government on Monday told the Supreme Court that petitioners challenging the remission given to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case are nothing but an “interloper” and a “busybody”. It also said that since the investigation in the case was carried out by the CBI, it had obtained “suitable orders” for grant of remission of the convicts from the Centre.
