Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan backs death penalty for child rapists; reminds that his govt was the first

Following the horrific rape incidents in Unnao, Kathua and Surat that have triggered a wave of outrage across the nation, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has backed the call for making the death penalty mandatory in such cases.

In his tweet citing Republic TV's #DeathForRapists campaign, Chouhan has written:

"I have always maintained that those who rape minor girls are not humans and don’t deserve human rights. I support #DeathForRapists for such heinous crimes against humanity. My Government was the first to pass the bill with a provision for a death sentence for child rapists."

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly had in December 2017 passed a bill awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 years and below, thereby becoming the first state to take such an action.

Introduced in the House by Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Rampal Singh, the Bill was discussed in detail and then passed by all parties, including the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

Following the chargesheet in the Kathua rape and murder case being filed and revealing the heinous details of crime, J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had issued a statement on Twitter that her government would bring a new law that will make the death penalty mandatory for those who rape minors.

"I want to assure the entire nation that I stand committed not just to ensure justice for the victim but also seek exemplary punishment for those responsible for a crime whose brutal savagery has shamed humanity."

"We will never ever let another child suffer in this way. We will bring a new law that will make the death penalty mandatory for those who rape minors, so that the 8-year-old victim's case becomes the last", Mufti had tweeted. (The victim's name has been removed from the tweet)