ANI/PTI | 23 hours 23 min ago
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on
Sunday demanded a clarification from the Congress-led UPA Government
over former President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's disclosure that she
converted capital punishment into life imprisonment or lighter sentences
for some of the criminals convicted of rape and murder after
recommendations from the Union Home Ministry during her tenure.
Lashing out at the Centre, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the nation is certainly entitled to know as to why the government recommended a lighter punishment when the court has given serious punishment in such offences, involving rape and murder.
"The former President of India Pratibha Patil has publicly stated that some of the criminals convicted of dastardly rape and murder, their capital punishment was converted to either life imprisonment or lighter sentences by exercising the power of pardon. But she has clarified (that) the constitutional provision that such power she exercised upon the recommendations of the Union Home Ministry," said Prasad.
"The country is certainly entitled to know the answer because there must be right earnestness to ensure that this strong anger of the country is properly tapped so that we can make the future safe for our daughters, sisters and brothers and entire women power of the country," he added.
While speaking to a Marathi news channel, Patil had earlier on Saturday said that when she went through files of perpetrators of atrocious crimes such as rape, she had asked the Home Ministry whether to continue keeping the punishment of life sentence or reconsider the punishment. The former president went onto say that the government chose to turn the capital punishment to a life imprisonment.
During her tenure, Patil reportedly gave five persons accused of rape charges respite from their punishment of being hanged till death.
Amid the nationwide outrage over the Delhi gang-rape incident, which led to death of the 23-year-old victim, Patil's revelation has created uproar, as people are persistently agitating for capital punishment for the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Lashing out at the Centre, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the nation is certainly entitled to know as to why the government recommended a lighter punishment when the court has given serious punishment in such offences, involving rape and murder.
"The former President of India Pratibha Patil has publicly stated that some of the criminals convicted of dastardly rape and murder, their capital punishment was converted to either life imprisonment or lighter sentences by exercising the power of pardon. But she has clarified (that) the constitutional provision that such power she exercised upon the recommendations of the Union Home Ministry," said Prasad.
"The country is certainly entitled to know the answer because there must be right earnestness to ensure that this strong anger of the country is properly tapped so that we can make the future safe for our daughters, sisters and brothers and entire women power of the country," he added.
While speaking to a Marathi news channel, Patil had earlier on Saturday said that when she went through files of perpetrators of atrocious crimes such as rape, she had asked the Home Ministry whether to continue keeping the punishment of life sentence or reconsider the punishment. The former president went onto say that the government chose to turn the capital punishment to a life imprisonment.
During her tenure, Patil reportedly gave five persons accused of rape charges respite from their punishment of being hanged till death.
Amid the nationwide outrage over the Delhi gang-rape incident, which led to death of the 23-year-old victim, Patil's revelation has created uproar, as people are persistently agitating for capital punishment for the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
BJP disapproves of restrictions, questions 'hurried' cremation
Holding
that ‘a nation in shock’ is entitled to display its sense of despair,
BJP disapproved of ‘Emergency-like’ restrictions against anti-gang-rape
protests and renewed its demand for a special Parliament session to
adopt strict laws on crime against women.
Expressing
‘profound condolences’ to members of the victim's family and saluting
her courage, the party also questioned the ‘hush hush’ manner in which
she was cremated.
BJP said that a proper debate in Parliament on the issue would ‘certainly be able to tap upon the serious sense of distress and dismay which is sweeping the country’ after the ‘supreme sacrifice of that young brave daughter’ of the country.
The main opposition party assured that it would cooperate with the the government in all suitable legislative measures to strengthen laws relating to crime against women, in strengthening the judicial architecture to ensure the speedy justice to those who are victims and taking actions against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
"The government needs to come quickly with a proper structured response and to reflect upon the serious concerns of the country, it is imperative that a special session of Parliament be called at the earliest which we have been demanding for some time," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
Criticising the government for ‘converting Delhi into a chavni (cantonment)’, he said this ‘unfair’ act of authorities reminds of Emergency era and added that ‘a nation in shock is certainly entitled to display its sense of despair, anger and pain’.
"...why should Delhi be sealed like this. Why should Delhi be converted into a chavni reminding ourselves what is happened during Emergency. This is very very unfair.
"Metro trains have been closed, people cannot move. I think, a nation in shock is certainly entitled to display its sense of despair, anger and pain. That is what democracy is about. We don't appreciate it at all," he said.
The party also criticised the manner in which cremation of the victim was done.
"The hurried manner in which cremation the done was avoidable. We understand the right of privacy. The right of privacy has to be respected. But this hush hush manner certainly raises a lot of curious questions too," Prasad said.
Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121230/news-current-affairs/article/bjp-demands-clarification-centre-over-pratibha-patils-revelation
BJP said that a proper debate in Parliament on the issue would ‘certainly be able to tap upon the serious sense of distress and dismay which is sweeping the country’ after the ‘supreme sacrifice of that young brave daughter’ of the country.
The main opposition party assured that it would cooperate with the the government in all suitable legislative measures to strengthen laws relating to crime against women, in strengthening the judicial architecture to ensure the speedy justice to those who are victims and taking actions against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
"The government needs to come quickly with a proper structured response and to reflect upon the serious concerns of the country, it is imperative that a special session of Parliament be called at the earliest which we have been demanding for some time," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
Criticising the government for ‘converting Delhi into a chavni (cantonment)’, he said this ‘unfair’ act of authorities reminds of Emergency era and added that ‘a nation in shock is certainly entitled to display its sense of despair, anger and pain’.
"...why should Delhi be sealed like this. Why should Delhi be converted into a chavni reminding ourselves what is happened during Emergency. This is very very unfair.
"Metro trains have been closed, people cannot move. I think, a nation in shock is certainly entitled to display its sense of despair, anger and pain. That is what democracy is about. We don't appreciate it at all," he said.
The party also criticised the manner in which cremation of the victim was done.
"The hurried manner in which cremation the done was avoidable. We understand the right of privacy. The right of privacy has to be respected. But this hush hush manner certainly raises a lot of curious questions too," Prasad said.
Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121230/news-current-affairs/article/bjp-demands-clarification-centre-over-pratibha-patils-revelation
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