Sushma Swaraj & Virbhadra for stringent laws against rape

In the wake of the Delhi gang rape victim's death, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Saturday reiterated her demand for death sentence to all those convicted in rape and murder cases.

"I repeat my demand for death sentence made on February 10, 2011," Swaraj said on micro blogging site Twitter.

On February 10 last year, the BJP leader had tweeted, "I want death sentence in all cases of rape and murder and all cases of kidnapping/abduction & murder.

During a debate in Parliament on the gang rape of the 23-year-old paramedic student in the recently concluded winter session, Swaraj had demanded that all the culprits in the case should be given death sentence.

She had appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a special Parliament session to pass stringent laws to deal with crimes against women.

Later, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader had also asked Leader of the House in Lok Sabha Sushilkumar Shinde to call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue.

The gang rape victim passed away on Saturday in a Singapore hospital where she was being treated. "Her death has shaken the conscience of the nation. We must wake up and make India safe for daughters," Swaraj said in her condolence message.

Swaraj was also a part of a BJP delegation that met President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the brutal incident after Shinde declared that no special session of Parliament or all-party meeting will be called.

Shimla, Dec 29 (IANS) Mourning the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim in a Singapore hospital, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Saturday said stringent laws should be enforced to prevent crime against women.

"Their honour should be protected at every cost," he said while favouring stringent laws.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shanta Kumar in a statement from his hometown in Himachal Pradesh's Palampur demanded capital punishment for rape.

Referring to stringent laws in some countries where the guilty of rape are castrated, the Rajya Sabha member said: "All these matters need to be discussed in parliament. New courts should be established so that guilty could be punished at the earliest."

These are crocodile tears shed by politicians when they themselves are the main forces behind these rape cases.

The government has appointed Justice Verma Committee. The three-member committee of jurists, constituted to give recommendations on amending laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in sexual assault cases, began its work today by issuing notice seeking public comments on the issue by January 5.

The Committee has invited suggestions from the public which may be sent to justice.verma@nic.in or through FAX at 011-23092675.

People will give the usual suggestions of Life Imprisonment, Death Sentence or Castration using different methods.

I am of the opinion that extortion, rape, kidnapping, murder occurring all over India are only the external symptoms of a much greater internal malaise occurring in the body of Mother India.

This is the disease of our political class and unless this disease is uprooted by the combined effort of the Election Commission and the Judiciary, India will continue to rot.

We cannot expect our MPs and MLAs to correct the system for THEY ARE THE DISEASE.

Society reflects the ideas received from our elders.

If we want there should be zero tolerance of rapist, I would suggest that no person who has been accused of rape or any other crimes against women should be allowed to stand for Parliament or any of the State Assemblies.