Published 02:35 IST, January 19th 2020
Don't agree with Indira Jaising's remarks on death penalty in Nirbhaya case: KTS Tulsi
Rajya Sabha MP & senior advocate KTS Tulsi said that he does not agree with Indira Jaising's suggestion given to Nirbhya's mother to forgive the convicts
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate KTS Tulsi on Saturday said that he does not agree with Indira Jaising's suggestion given to Nirbhaya's mother to forgive the convicts and against the death penalty. Tulsi said that people of such "derived character" do not deserve to live.
On Thursday, Indira Jaising, through a tweet, had urged Asha Devi to forgive the perpetrators and had used the example of Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, who had forgiven Nalini, one of the convicts of her son's murder who was given the death penalty by the courts.
Speaking to the media Tulsi said, "India has managed to balance having the death penalty by having rarely used it. In the last 17 years, only four executions have taken place. However, this is a case where barbarity and brutality took place. I don't think people of such derived character deserve to live and we need to make an example of this."
Justice RS Sodhi reacts
Earlier in the day, Retired Delhi High Court Judge Justice RS Sodhi also accused the human rights activist and senior lawyer Indira Jasing of seeking limelight by suggesting that Nirbhaya's mother should forgive the perpetrators and said that such insensitivity must be checked. He said that the victim's mother did not make death penalty law and had nothing to do with the conviction either.
Talking about Indira's remark Sodhi said, "As far as an opinion about forgiving or not forgiving the convicts goes, it is up to the victim's mother. However, was she (Jasing) a part of the candle marches and protests that took place after the incident? Now that the law has taken its course, you are asking the mother to be kind? Is this not insensitivity at this time? This insensitivity must be checked. Whatever your views may be on the death penalty or whatever activism you want to do, do it in a rational manner. Don't seek limelight all the time on the wrong things. The debate over whether the death penalty is a proper punishment has been going on for long and will continue. Until the law is changed, rarest of rare cases will get the death sentences. This was one of those cases."
Indira's comment
Earlier today, Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim had slammed senior lawyer Indira Jaising for her suggestion that she should forgive her daughter's rapists. "Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? The whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims," Asha Devi said.
Jaising had said she fully identifies with the pain of Asha Devi but was against the death penalty. "While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she did not want the death penalty for her. We are with you but against the death penalty," she had said in the tweet.
(with ANI inputs)
(image: PTI)
Updated 02:35 IST, January 19th 2020