AAP pulls up BJP for delay in hanging Nirbhaya convicts

Union Minister Javadekar says govt. took 2.5 years to give notice to the 4 men

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said the BJP is responsible for the delay in hanging the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case.

At a press conference, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said: “Bring the Delhi Police under our jurisdiction for two days and we will ensure execution of the culprits.”

On the other hand, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday blamed the Delhi government for the “delay” in the hanging of the Nirbhaya convicts, alleging that it took over two and a half years to give notice to the four men after the Supreme Court’s rejection of their appeal against the death sentence in 2017.

“Had the government given notices to all convicts within a week of the Supreme Court order, they would have been hanged by now,” said Mr. Javadekar at a press conference.

“The complicity of the government in providing the detailed legal procedure to Tihar Jail for the last 2.5 years shows the side the government is taking – that of rapists and murderers,” he added.

To this, Mr. Sisodia said: “It really pained me to see a Minister [Javadekar] in the Central government blatantly lying on such a sensitive matter and that too, before the entire nation and surprisingly, with no hesitation whatsoever.”

He added that Mr. Javadekar must question the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police on the delay. “You should ask your Home Ministry and Amit Shah ji on why this execution could not be carried out when they have control over the police and Tihar administration. Why is Amit Shah ji abandoning his responsibility? Why are you lying to the people just before elections? You are misleading people. I want to ask you why your government delayed the matter, why are you not taking responsibility for this delay?”

The government on Wednesday recommended rejecting the mercy plea filed by Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts, and has forwarded it to L-G Anil Baijal. It also informed the High Court during a hearing that execution of the convicts will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by one of them, Mukesh Singh.