HYDERABAD: Accusing the BJP-led Union government of setting a bad precedent by releasing 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, Congress MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned the silence of Union minister for women & child development and minority affairs Smriti Irani.
Speaking to media persons in Kodad on Thursday, the former TPCC president wondered why the minister who made a huge hue and cry on a non-issue (Rashtrapatni row) during the last Parliament session failed to acknowledge this. “By remaining silent, Smriti Irani and other BJP leaders are endorsing the release of rapists from prisons,” he said.
He felt that the BJP had set a dangerous precedent and the saffron party would witness a surge in members with criminal backgrounds, especially those facing charges of rape and murder. He said all the accused were convicted after a long battle involving the Supreme Court and investigation done by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
"The BJP government in Gujarat carried out the remission of sentence in the case with such an ease that it had sent a wrong message that there was no importance to the courts and justice system. PM Modi, who is against distributing freebies to the common people, can now promise freedom for all rapists and murderers if they join the BJP," he added.
