Ordinance ‘historic victory’, says Maliwal

To end fast today after Centre gives nod to stringent rape law

DCW chief Swati Maliwal addresses the media on the ninth day of her hunger strike on Saturday.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday announced that she would end her indefinite fast on Sunday afternoon, after the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance making death penalty the punishment for raping a child under 12 years — which she had demanded.

Ms. Maliwal, who began her indefinite fast on April 13, had sought stringent laws against the perpetrators of sexual assault on children.

Her protest had come in the wake of the Kathua case, where an eight-year-old was gang-raped and murdered, and the Unnao case, in which a girl was gang-raped and one of the accused was a BJP MLA. Reacting to the news of the ordinance, Ms. Maliwal said, “This is a historic victory. It is not a victory of Swati Maliwal. It is the victory of the country’s daughters and sons, of the country’s Nirbhayas.”

She added that since the “Prime Minister has listened” to her demand, she would break her fast at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Warns of another fast

“I can continue my fast for another 300 days. But, the PM has listened to us, I want to respect him. But, if the promises are not implemented in three months, I will launch another fast and there will be a big movement in the country,” she said, adding that there was a need to continue to fight against rape.

Earlier in the day, when news of the Cabinet’s decision broke, Ms. Maliwal had said that she would continue her fast. “I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false news that I have broken the fast. Praying to all news channels conscience to kindly not report fake news. [sic],” she said in a tweet.