E-Paper
'At least Godse hanged…': Owaisi on MLA's ‘sanskaar’ tag on Bilkis Bano rapists
Reacting sharply to BJP MLA's comment that some of the accused of Bilkis Bano rape are brahmins with good values, Owaisi said some people's caste frees them while some people's caste or religion gets them imprisoned ‘without proof’.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said the policy of the BJP is to stand by rapists be it in Gujarat or Kathua. While some people's caste can secure their release from jail despite the heinous nature of their crime, some other people's caste or religion is enough to 'imprison them without proof', Owaisi said commenting on the BJP MLA's remark that the rapists of Bilkis Bano are Brahmins with 'sanskaar'.
"We must thank God that at least Godse was convicted and hanged," Owaisi said demanding cancellation of the remission of the convicts.
Bilkis Bano case: Over 6,000 citizens urge SC to revoke remission of convicts
On the same day as PM Modi emphasised on women empowerment in his Independence Day speech, the Gujarat government released the convicts of the Bilkis Bano case, Owaisi said. "Did the Gujarat government take permission from the Centre as they were convicted following a CBI probe?" he said adding that BJP is doing all these keeping an eye on the upcoming Gujarat elections.
Amid severe criticism from the opposition, BJP MLA CK Raulji, who was part of the Gujarat government panel that recommended remission to all the 11 men guilty of Bilkis Bano rape, said some of the convicts are 'Brahmins' with 'good 'sanskaar'.
"We took the decision on the basis of a Supreme Court order. We were asked to look at their behaviour and decide on their early release," he said in an interview. "We asked the jailer and learnt that their behaviour was good in the prison...also (some of the convicts) are Brahmins. They have good 'sanskaar' (values)," he said.
'Don't know whether they were framed'
CK Raulji said the decision was only based on their behaviour and he does not know whether they raped Bilkis Bano or not. "It is possible that they (the convicts) might have been fixed in the case due to their past family activities. When such riots take place it happens that those who are not involved are named. But I don't know if they committed the crime, we decided based on their behaviour," he said.
