New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, continuing with her indefinite hunger strike from Rajghat for the second day on Wednesday, appealed to all women MPs to raise the issue of women security in Parliament.
Maliwal wrote to all women MPs, urging them to make women safety an issue in the ongoing session and ensure that all demands raised by the women’s panel are met at the earliest.
“I urge all women MPs to demand immediate death penalty for the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case, who have been on death row since 2013. Also, the MPs must raise amendments to the law to limit the duration for mercy petitions to six months. Any change is possible only if there’s a fear of law,” she said in her letter.
She further urged the women MPs to join the strike. “In case you are unable to raise these issues in Parliament, I would request you to join the women here at Rajghat who are protesting for a safer country. I hope you will not rest till a strong system is in place to ensure the safety of women,” she said.
Over the last three years, the commission has dealt with 55,000 cases of crimes against women and received 2.15 lakh calls on the women’s helpline number 181, Maliwal added.
{{/usCountry}}Over the last three years, the commission has dealt with 55,000 cases of crimes against women and received 2.15 lakh calls on the women’s helpline number 181, Maliwal added.
{{/usCountry}}More than 200 men and women from different NGOs as well as students from various institutions joined the protest on Wednesday.
The DCW chairperson sat on the hunger strike on Tuesday demanding capital punishment within six months of the verdict, in cases of rape and other crimes against women.
Tuesday evening, Maliwal and her supporters moved to Samta Sthal at Rajghat from Jantar Mantar, after police asked them to vacate the area. Protest demonstrations are not allowed at Jantar Mantar after 5pm.
“I shall be here day and night until all demands made are met,” Maliwal said.
In April 2018, Maliwal had sat on a 10-day hunger strike demanding justice for victims of sexual assaults following the sexual assault of an eight-month-old baby in the capital.