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Bilkis Bano verdict: Opposition hails the Supreme Court verdict; hits out at BJP

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi demanded that the Narendra Modi-led government apologise to Bilkis Bano at least now.

South First Desk

Published Jan 08, 2024 | 4:04 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 08, 2024 | 4:05 PM

Bilkis Bano

Bilkis Bano. (X)

Hailing the Supreme Court verdict in the Bilkis Bano case on Monday, 8 January, the Opposition Congress said that it has removed the veil over the BJP’s anti-women policies.

On Monday, the Supreme Court passed the judgement, striking down the remission granted to 11 convicts, on the ground that the Gujarat government had no competence to grant remission. The convicts have been directed to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks.

Lawyers, witness react

Reacting to the verdict, senior advocate Vrinda Grover, who appeared for retired IPS officer Meeran Chadha Borwankar and others who petitioned against the remission, termed it a very good judgement.

“… (it) has upheld the rule of law and the faith of the people of this country, particularly women, in the legal system, the courts, and that there is an assurance for justice,” Grover told reporters.

Senior lawyer Indira Jaising said that the case has made history for all “right-minded Indians”.

Hailing the verdict, a witness in the case said that Bano received “justice today”, while some of her relatives burst firecrackers in Devgadh Baria town in Dahod district, Gujarat.

He said, “I am one of the witnesses in the case. These 11 convicts were handed the punishment by a Maharashtra court. The Gujarat government’s decision to release them was wrong. That is why we challenged it in court.”

“I am happy that the SC has quashed the Gujarat government’s decision and asked the convicts to surrender. I feel that we have received justice today,” Abdul Razaq Mansuri, one of the witnesses in the case, told reporters.

Also Read: Bilkis Bano case: Supreme Court quashes remission granted to 11 convicts

‘Modi govt should apologise’

Speaking to the reporters, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that Bilkis Bano fought for justice on her own. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Owaisi said that this incident happened when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.

“The environment was so communally poisonous in Gujarat at that time that the trial in the case was shifted to Maharashtra,” he said.

Two BJP MLAs endorsed the release of the convicts. One of the BJP MLA called these rapists as “Sanskari”, the AIMIM chief claimed.

Claiming that the BJP government in the Centre and Gujarat helped the rapists be released, the MP demanded that the Narendra Modi-led government apologise to Bilkis Bano at least now.

Human rights lawyer Anand Yagnik said that the Gujarat government’s decision (to grant remission to the convicts) was not in conformity with law but something that appeared to have been passed under certain “social, religious and political pressure”.

He added, “In the first place, the rules which are applicable for remission do not allow the government to remit sentence to those convicts who are responsible for rape, murder, and such heinous crimes.”

‘A crucial precedent’

Welcoming the Supreme Court judgement, BRS MLC K Kavitha said, “The verdict sends a powerful message: the unwavering commitment to women’s integrity. Justice prevails, every such verdict sets a crucial precedent that our nation stands with women.”

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, reacting to the Bilkis Bano verdict, said, “One has to accept the decision that the court gives. Let any politician or government not interfere. Ultimately, it is the law of the country that prevails.”

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the verdict, too. He said, “It will remain a bloodstained blot on the Gujarat government that it illegally released these convicts and that a BJP leader justified it on the grounds that they were Brahmins!”

‘Justice prevailed’

Reacting to the ruling, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that justice has ultimately prevailed.

“With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened. Congratulations to Bilkis Bano for continuing her fight bravely,” she said in a post in Hindi on X.

The Congress’ media and publicity head Pawan Khera said that the Supreme Court judgement quashing the release of the 11 rapists by the Gujarat government “exposes the BJP’s callous disregard for women”.

“It is a slap on the face of those who facilitated the illegal release of these criminals and also those who garlanded the convicts and fed sweets to them,” Khera said.

“India will not allow the administration of justice to be incumbent on the religion or the caste of the victim or the perpetrator of a crime,” he added.

Hailing Bilkis Bano’s fight as a symbol against the “arrogant” BJP government, Rahul Gandhi said that the Supreme Court verdict proved who is the “protector of criminals”.

Congress MLA from Gujarat, Jignesh Mewani, also welcomed the judgement.

The order

Holding a PIL challenging the remission as maintainable, the top court Bench said that the Gujarat government was not the appropriate authority to pass the remission order.

The apex court clarified that the state where an offender is tried and sentenced is the one competent to decide on their remission plea. The convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were tried in Maharashtra.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the 2002 Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots.

All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on 15 August 2022.

(With PTI inputs)

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