Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi :
A united Parliament erupted in outrage and anger spilled onto the streets in several states on Monday over the rape and murder of a young veterinary doctor in Hyderabad, as MPs demanded swift death penalty, public lynching and castration of rape convicts.
As the Centre said it was ready to amend laws to bring in stringent provisions and ensure speedy justice, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu even suggested a rethink on allowing convicts in heinous crimes to go in for mercy appeals.
Cutting across party lines, the MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha condemned the Hyderabad incident ‘in one voice’ and demanded strict laws that punish the guilty in crimes against women within a fixed time-frame.
Responding to a discussion during Zero Hour in the Lower House, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was falling short of words to condemn the heinous crime.
There was no let-up in protests in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana with students, activists and lawyers taking out rallies and holding demonstrations demanding death penalty for the four accused arrested in the case. The protesters shouted slogans like “We want justice” and held placards that read “Hang the rapists”.
Responding to a discussion during Zero Hour in the wake of the rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was falling short of words to condemn the heinous crime.
“We are ready for discussions in the House so that stringent provisions in laws could be explored to give punishment to those involved in such ghastly incidents,” he said.
The minister said the incident had hurt everyone.
He observed that such heinous crimes were happening even after strict laws were framed post the Nirbhaya incident.
As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla said he would allow members to raise the “serious issue” in Zero Hour.
Terming the rape of the young veterinarian in Hyderabad as “painful” and an “inhuman” incident, Uttam Kumar Reddy (INC) slammed the Telangana Home Minister for his purported “insensitive” remarks.
He also slammed the state police for the delay in lodging a case.
TR Baalu (DMK) raised the issue of sexual assault of a schoolgirl in Coimbatore.
Those involved in the crime should be punished, Baalu said, adding that the government should come forward and ensure time-bound action.
Terming the rape of the veterinarian as a “heinous crime”, Saugata Roy (TMC) said even after the enactment of strict laws after the Nirbhaya case, rapes were still taking place.
He was of the view that the House should take cognisance of this serious incident and urged the Centre to immediately frame laws to make rape punishable by death sentence.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan led a chorus of angry and impassioned voices in parliament today amid nationwide shock over the horrific rape and murder of a young veterinarian in Telangana. “These types of people (the rape accused in the Telangana case) need to be brought out in public and lynched,” Jaya Bachchan said, adding, “I think it is time… the people want the government to give a proper and definite answer”.
Four men have been accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old woman in Hyderabad on Wednesday night. According to police documents accessed by NDTV the accused planned the gruesome crime – they allegedly strangled her alive before burning the body – in detail when they saw her park her scooter near a toll booth.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve stood and spoken after this kind of crime. I think it is time… whether Nirbhaya or Kathua or what happened in Telangana… I think the people now want the government to give a proper and definite answer,” Jaya Bachchan told the Rajya Sabha.
“What has the government done? How have they tackled it? How has justice been done for the victims? I am not taking names… but shouldn’t the security be held responsible? I feel only one day earlier something similar happened in that area in Telangana… why wasn’t this stopped?” she continued.
Mrs Bachchan also demanded that the people who had failed to protect women and children from such horrific assaults should be “named and shamed”.
She was not the only MP to speak out strongly on the matter.
AIADMK MP Vijila Sathyanath broke down during a speech in which she said her country was not safe for children and women. The Congress’ Amee Yajnik demanded central and state governments come together for a “social reformation on an emergency basis”.
Other strong reactions included those by the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Kumar Jha and RK Sinha of the BJP, who, amid calls for rapists to face execution, reminded parliament that those found guilty of the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder and sentenced to die were still going through lengthy appeals.
