India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi has said that “the grant of premature release to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case is a stain on Modi Government’s legacy that will never wash off.
“It is Repugnant, Reprehensible, and Revolting that an elected Government in a democracy chose to release these convicts in such a cavalier manner,” Singhvi said in a media statement.
Shocking revelations came to light when the Modi Government, in its reply to the ongoing Bilkis Bano case before the Supreme Court, revealed that it had given its “concurrence and approval” for the release of the individuals convicted of gang rape and the murder of a three and a half-year-old child and various members of her family.
When the release was ordered on August 15th, 2022, the Modi Government maintained a studied and deliberate silence on the release of the criminals, an action which has since drawn legitimate criticism the world over and exposed our system to widespread shame and ridicule.
“Now constrained by the orders of the Supreme Court, the Modi Government has had to reveal that not only was the Ministry of Home Affairs aware of the release but that it actually supported the same, in defiance of objections by senior officials of the CBI and a Special Judge. The fact that the Modi Government actively suppressed this fact shows that even it was aware that the action was condemnable,” the Congress leader pointed out.
Singhvi alleged that “despite the Modi Government’s desperate and clumsy attempts to justify this embarrassing and demeaning action, it is clear that the sole underlying calculation for the Modi Government was a raw political one.”
He said four facts made this even more explicit.
“First, the panel that had ordered the release had cited dubious justifications – such as the convicts belonged to “Brahmin” and “sanskari” families – for their release and even opined, without any basis or justification, that the convicts may have been “intentionally framed”. What it had not said was that the MHA had granted its approval for such pre-mature release.
“Second, upon release, these convicts were felicitated by members of organizations that profess fellowship with the ruling party. Persons associated with the ruling party even made faltering and feeble attempts to justify this unjustifiable and craven decision.
“Third, ALL the convicts were released and in a mechanical manner. There was no application of mind as to the individual charges, cases, or the facts of the original case. Was the panel acting under some compulsion that it reduced its process to an ostensible formality?
“Fourth, the threat to Bilkis Bano’s life that such a decision posed was never considered. In fact, it was the direct and serious nature of the threats from the convicts in question that the Supreme Court even interfered and transferred the case from Gujarat to Maharashtra. Yet the prime consideration, the victim’s safety, was simply not a factor for consideration by the panel or the Modi Government.”
“All of the above proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the release was a political decision made with not just the knowledge but the concurrence of those in the highest echelons of power in the Modi Government,” Singhvi alleged.
Singhvi also posed three questions to the Modi Government. First:
Despite senior officials’ objections, why has the Modi Government sought to grant preferential treatment to individuals convicted of so reprehensible, horrific, and heinous a crime?
Second: Has the Modi Government decided to pardon all convicted rapists and child murderers who have served a certain period? With what face will the Modi Government now oppose demands for parole which cite this precedent?
Third: Will such treatment be granted to all individuals who are accused of heinous offences? Or was this a limited-time offer contingent on the upcoming elections?
The Congress leader said that many compromises had to be made in politics. “But the BJP has made the greatest compromise of all; A sacrifice of the last shred of conscience that separated them from those craven and venal elements who prize solely their own political survival over all else,” alleged Singhvi.
