Resmi Sivaram

The rape and murder of the veterinary doctor in Hyderabad has brought shame to the nation, Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Monday, as member after member expressed horror at the crime.

Singh said in the Lok Sabha that the government was “ready for discussion on crime against women and to explore strongest provisions in laws.”

“This act has brought shame to the entire country,” he said. “It has hurt everyone. The accused must be given the most stringent punishment for their crime.”

He said that “to control and eliminate such crimes against women, we are ready to make the kind of law which the entire House agrees to.”

On Nov.29, four men, aged between 20 and 24, were arrested on charges of raping and setting ablaze the young woman veterinarian in Hyderabad.

As soon as the Lower House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla said he would allow members to raise the “serious issue” in Zero Hour.

Uttam Kumar Reddy (Congress) slammed the Telangana Home Minister for his purported “insensitive” remarks.

He also slammed the state police for initially delaying to lodge a case.

Saugat Roy (TMC) said the Hyderabad rape convicts should be hanged.

Pinaki Misra (BJD) questioned the delay in executing the death sentence awarded to convicts in the “Nirbhaya” gang-rape case.

He said laws and establishment on fast track courts will not make a differences till the time the death sentences are not executed.

DMK floor leader TR Baalu also raised the issue of sexual assault of a schoolgirl in Coimbatore.

In the Upper House, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu called the incident a “disgrace to the society.”

“What happened in Hyderabad is a disgrace to our society and value system. What is required is not a new bill. What is required is political will, administrative skill, change of mindset and then go for kill of the social evil,” he said.

Actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan was furious as she said that such rapists should be lynched in public. “I don’t know how many times I have spoken about it. Be it Nirbhya, Kathua or Hyderabad, there’s just no let-up.

“No justice has been done to these people. These kind of people (accused in rape) should be brought out in public and lynched,” The Samajwadi Party MP said.

“I think it is time the people now want the government to give a proper and a definite answer.”

ADMK MP Vijila Sathyananth demanded capital punishment for the four accused before Dec.31.

She said,”The country is not safe for children and women. Four people who committed this crime should be hanged till death before December 31. A fast track court should be set up. Justice delayed is justice denied.” Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that whole nation has to get together to finish such crime from roots.

“Many laws have been made, but looks like they are not enough. We have to create an atmosphere where such incidents do not happen. Stricter punishments should be given,” he said.

Congress member Amee Yajnik suggested that the judiciary, legislative, executive and other systems should come together on emergency basis to see that a social reformation takes place.

Meanwhile,  Hundreds of Indian protestors took to the streets on Monday as public anger grew over the brutal gang-rape and murder of a female veterinary doctor, with one MP calling for the perpetrators to be “lynched”.

The demonstrations in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and elsewhere took place as police found the semi-naked body of a six-year-old girl who appears to have been raped and then strangled with her school belt in Rajasthan.

The protests on Monday saw demonstrators brandish placards with slogans such as “We want justice”. Some covered their mouths with black cloth, demanding that the government provide security and punish the guilty.

“I am outraged because I don’t want to live with that fear,” Kawalpreet Kaur, a student at the New Delhi rally told AFP. Other marches were expected later on Monday, including in the eastern city of Kolkata.