Swati Maliwal, DCW Chief Writes To PM Modi On Bill For Women's Safety

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking immediate implementation of Disha Bill in the entire nation, which mandates disposal of cases of crimes against women within 21 days and delivering out the death sentence.

The Delhi Commission for Women chief also displayed sadness over the “indifferent attitude” of the central government.

On Friday, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly enacted the bill. The suggested new law has been termed the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019 as a tribute to the veterinary doctor who was raped and killed recently in bordering Telangana.

Credit: PTI

Maliwal, who was elected by the Aam Aadmi Party party, had ended a hunger strike over the same requests on the 10th day. This was after the President issued a directive proposing the death penalty as the severest punishment for those sentenced of raping girls under 12 years.

During her fast, many feminist activists and academicians had published an open letter calling her demands “regressive.” They indicated data to demonstrate that capital punishment would reduce conviction rates for rape.

Also Read: Rape Culture: A Complex Problem That Mere Death Penalty Can’t Solve

Maliwal, who was elected by the Aam Aadmi Party party, had ended a hunger strike over the same requests on the 10th day.

Maliwal's latest hunger strike came when Delhi's lieutenant governor Anil Baijal denied the mercy plea of one of the four death-row convicts in the 2012 gang rape and killing of a paramedical student in the capital. The appeal is to be sent to the President with an inference from the home ministry.

Maliwal listed six demands, first, the hanging of the convicts in the 2012 case. Another being the hanging of all rape convicts within six months of the crime. Next being using the Nirbhaya Fund, from which states have employed only around 20 per cent of the allowances for women's security. Also to generate tracking software so that responsibility of investigators can be set.

Moreover, they should guarantee adequate, preventive and curative measures to avoid recurrence of such atrocious incidents. The government should immediately fill up all the empty posts in the Delhi police. This is so that it can increase its working to restore trust in the people of Delhi which is lacking.

CM Arvind Kejriwal on this matter

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that if today a person goes to report a crime, the police do not help either because of corrupt intentions or because of ignorance. “I believe that rather than disregarding that corruption is still widespread, we must acknowledge this reality and act on it collectively,” he stated.

On Friday, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly enacted the bill. The suggested new law has been termed the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019 as a tribute to the veterinary doctor who was raped and killed recently in bordering Telangana.

He further added that he realises that Delhi is a crime capital. But he is certain that no party, whether the BJP or the AAP, feel good about it being a crime capital. The Centre and the state parties must meet to resolve this matter.

Also Read: Chandigarh Court Acquits Rape Accused, As No Injuries On Survivor’s Body

Saumya Rastogi is an intern with SheThePeople.TV