Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday, seeking a special session of the Lok Sabha to pass the Constitution (117th) Amendment Bill to provide reservation in promotion to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in government jobs and to amend laws to provide for stringent punishment to rape convicts.
As the demand grows for extreme punishment to the accused in the gang-rape of a young paramedic, Ms. Mayawati wanted a special session to discuss rigorous punishment to rapists as a deterrent.
She said in an interview to The Hindu on Saturday that her party would support death sentence for rape convicts if the government brought forth such a proposal.
“My party reiterates that for the safety and security of women and to bring deterrent fear in the minds of those such persons who dare to think of committing such dastardly acts, the concerned Law on crime against women must be amended by including provisions that provide for rigorous punishment to such culprits so that this type of incidents are prevented.”
