Won’t end fast until law implemented, says DCW chief

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

The Central Government's affidavit proposing death penalty for rapists of children younger than 12 is "not enough" for Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal to end her indefinite fast, which will enter ninth day tomorrow.

Maliwal refuses to settle with anything less than legislation itself despite requests coming from several quarters to call off her fast. In an open letter, woman activists urged her to end her indefinite fast and rethink on her position on death penalty to rapists of minors. Instead they asked her to focus on "certainty and swiftness" of punishment and not on its severity expressing concern that such a move may lead to further lowering of convictions in rape cases.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also requested her to end her hunger strike. "Congratulations Swati Maliwal. You should now end the fast. We all should now work towards effective implementation of these laws and keep working towards rest of the demands," Kejriwal also tweeted after the Centre submitted in the Supreme Court that it is considering amending POCSO to accord death for rapists of children.

Today Maliwal also issued a notice to Union Finance Ministry seeking to know the status of proposals of enhancement in police force in the Delhi Police and reasons for the delay over the long-pending induction of 66,000 additional personnel into the city's police.

Meanwhile, JDU MP Ali Anwar, singer harbhajan Maan and actor Rajshri Ponnappa and journalist Nalini Singh also extended support to the DCW chief at Rajghat on the cause where people have gathered to support her in the wake of recent rapes in Kathua, Unnao and Surat.