New Delhi: In a major embarrassment for the BJP-ruled Gujarat government, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from it on a batch of pleas challenging the remission granted to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
The top court issued a notice to the Gujarat government and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks. The top court issued the notice in response to petitions challenging the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The top court had on Tuesday given its consent to consider the petitions filed by CPM Politburo member Subhashini Ali, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and one other person. A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana agreed to hear the matter after submissions by senior advocates Kapil Sibal (appearing for CPM leader) and Abhishek Singhvi (appearing for Mahua Moitra) and lawyer Aparna Bhat.
Earlier, over 6,000 people including activists and historians urged the Supreme Court to revoke the early release of the convicts in the case. Their release had triggered a huge outrage nationwide. It is important to remember that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, one of the ideological gurus of the ruling dispensation, had once justified rape as a legitimate weapon that could deter Muslims from doing the same to Hindu women. It is also not a coincidence that calls for the murder of Muslims and rape of Muslim women have been given by so-called Hindu religious leaders in recent months. It is a clear message to Muslims to not expect justice, the signal to BJP’s supporters is that they are immune from punishment for any crime.
That in fact, any allegations that a Hindu has committed a crime against a Muslim must be a conspiracy irrespective of the evidence available.
It is also not a coincidence that calls for the murder of Muslims and rape of Muslim women have been given by so-called Hindu religious leaders in recent months. Instead of punishing them, Indian authorities have targeted those who exposed this hate speech, such as fact-checker Mohammad Zubair, who was arrested on spurious grounds.
The implications for India’s 200 million Muslims are even more dire: Justice, even if secured as an exception, can be undone at any moment. Even on a day when they, like other Indians, are celebrating the nation they have always embraced, but that is now turning its back on them.
Courtesy: Zeenews
