PM Modi Should Apologize to Bilkis Bano and The Nation: Asaduddin Owaisi

• Gujarat BJP Under Fire as Supreme Court Overturns Release of Bilkis Bano Rapists

PM Modi | Hyderabad, Jan 8 (Maxim News) : In a major rebuke to the Gujarat government, the Supreme Court overturned its decision to release 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

The verdict sparked fresh waves of criticism against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in Gujarat, with accusations of complicity and inadequate support for the victim.

“The state of Gujarat acted in complicity with the convicts,” the apex court noted in its scathing judgment, directing the immediate re-arrest of the released men. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court bench emphasized that protecting the convicts’ liberty cannot supersede the “natural consequences” of their heinous crimes.

This unexpected twist comes months after the Gujarat government, on the occasion of Independence Day 2022, invoked a state remission policy to release the convicts. This move elicited widespread outrage, with Bilkis Bano herself expressing shock and disappointment.

PM Modi Should Apologize

Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and MP from Hyderabad, emerged as a vocal critic of the Gujarat government. He slammed their initial decision to release the convicts, calling it a “shame” and an act of “aiding the rapists.”

“The Supreme Court has exposed the complicity of the Gujarat government. They owe an apology to Bilkis Bano and the nation,” Owaisi argued.

He further demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister during the 2002 riots.

The Congress party also joined the chorus of criticism, accusing the BJP government of prioritizing “criminals over justice.” They highlighted the court’s observation on complicity and urged the Gujarat government to ensure Bilkis Bano’s safety and well-being.

Bilkis Bano, just 21 and five months pregnant at the time of the attack, was gang-raped during the horrific communal riots triggered by the Godhra train burning incident in 2002.

Tragically, her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members brutally murdered by the assailants.

For two decades, Bano has fought tirelessly for justice. The Supreme Court’s latest verdict stands as a significant victory in her long and arduous journey, while the backlash against the Gujarat government raises crucial questions about accountability and victim support in India’s complex political lands (Maxim News)

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