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HomeIndiaOnly 3 of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case ‘Brahmins’, BJP MLA...

Only 3 of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case ‘Brahmins’, BJP MLA got his facts wrong

Of the remaining 8 convicts, 5 are from OBCs, 2 from SC, one is Baniya. Internet slams BJP MLA CK Raulji's comments on the accused being 'sanskari Brahmins', calls them 'shameful'.

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New Delhi: BJP MLA C.K. Raulji in an interview Thursday said the 11 convicts granted remission in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case were “Brahmins” with “good sanskar” (good values) and that it is possible they may have been “framed” due to someone’s “ill-intention to punish them”.

However, as it turns out, the MLA from Godhra had his facts wrong.

Through conversations with local BJP leaders and the police, ThePrint found that only three of the convicts are Brahmins. Of the remaining eight, five belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), two to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, and one is from the Baniya community.

Speaking to ThePrint, a local leader from Godhra, who did not wish to be named, said. “Not all of them are Brahmins. Most belong to the OBC caste. But this comment is irrelevant because crime doesn’t see caste.”

Shailesh Bhatt, Bipin Chandra Joshi and Mitesh Bhatt are Brahmins; Jaswant Nai, Govind Nai, Ramesh Chandana, Raju Soni and Pradip Modhiya are OBCs; Kesar Vohania and Baka Vohania are SCs, and Radheshyam Shah is a Baniya.

On 15 August, all the 11 convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002 for the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of several members of her family during the Gujarat communal riots, walked out of the Godhra sub-jail after the BJP government in the state allowed their release under its remission policy.

“The men have been released because of their good conduct inside the jail and that is all,” the local leader added.

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the remission order.

Raulji also said that he “does not know whether they committed any crime or not”.

The MLA’s comments have drawn stark criticism from internet users.

Lawyer Disha Wadekar tweeted, “Example of Brahmin ‘reservation’ sanctioned by Manusmriti. Manu’s penal code prescribes lower punishment to a Brahmin when compared to a Shudra for the same crime. While ‘constitutional reservations’ face continued attacks, ‘Manusmriti reservation’ lasts for eternity.”

Many others called the statement “shocking” and “shameful”, with one person questioning in a tweet whether the country is “governed by the Indian Constitution or Manusmriti”.

(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)


Also read: Anger, fear, politics — Bilkis convicts’ remission revives 2002 memories for Gujarat Muslims


 

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