New Delhi: The rape and murder of veterinary doctor in Hyderabad dominated Monday’s proceedings in Parliament as several MPs condemned the crime and demanded strictest action against the rapists, with some even suggesting “castration” and “lynching”.
The charred body of a 26-year-old veterinary doctor was found in the outskirts of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district on 28 November, sparking outrage across the country that still remembers the grizzly details of the 2012 Delhi gangrape.
The Hyderabad police arrested four persons in connection with the crime, and a local court has sent them to 14 days’ judicial custody.
From Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan to leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, MPs in both Houses of Parliament spoke about crimes against women.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected adjournment motions on the case but allowed members to make brief mentions on the subject. Calling the incident a disgrace on humanity, he said administrative skill, political will and change of mindset are required to deal with such crimes.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on crimes against women: 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. pic.twitter.com/Em1GDFMusv
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2019
Azad said society will have to tackle the problem at its root, and called for stringent punishment of the guilty without any discrimination based on religion or caste.
GN Azad, Congress in Rajya Sabha, on rape&murder of veterinary doctor: No govt or leader would want that such incident occurs in their state.This problem can't be solved by just making laws. To eradicate such acts, there's a need that we take a stand together against such crimes. pic.twitter.com/wMLiwW6xhL
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2019
Vijila Sathyananth, the AIADMK MP in the Rajya Sabha, got visibly emotional and said a fast track court should be set up and the people who committed the crime should be hanged before 31 December.
Vijila Sathyananth, AIADMK MP on rape & murder of woman veterinary doctor in Telangana: The country is not safe for children&women. 4 people who committed this crime should be hanged till death before Dec 31. A fast track court should be set up. Justice delayed is justice denied pic.twitter.com/5b1bMiogd0
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2019
Jaya Bachchan, who had previously broken down in Parliament after the Delhi gangrape case in 2012, said Monday security personnel in charge of the area where the crime took place should be held accountable, and demanded a “proper and definitive answer” from the government. The rapists should be “brought out in public and lynched”, she added.
Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan: These type of people (the accused in rape ) need to be brought out in public and lynched https://t.co/2QcQh1FugY
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2019
DMK’s P Wilson said courts should order “castration of rapists” before they are released from jails to check repeat offenders. He said the cost for the procedure should be recovered from the convicted by selling their assets, and added that the list of sexual offenders should be made public.
In Lok Sabha, Singh said the government was ready to formulate a law to address such crimes. “The act has brought shame to the entire country and the accused must be given stringent punishment for the same,” he added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on rape & murder of woman veterinary doctor: To control and eliminate such crimes against women, we are ready to make the kind of law which the entire House agrees to. https://t.co/yFtLdDZOVy
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2019
BJD’s Pinaki Misra took the focus back to those convicted in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and questioned why there has been a delay in executing the death sentence.
Also read: Hyderabad Police to seek max punishment of accused in veterinary doctor’s rape & murder
The debate shows knowledge of parliamentarians
All fine rhetoric in the Parliament but nothing will happen on the ground. The Indian Judicial budget is around ₹12, 000 crores, mostly funded by the states. There is a shortage of around 5,000 courtrooms and 42,000 judicial officers even as per the sanctioned strength. To make meaningful change, the manpower and infrastructure has to be increased many times over.
The less said about the police system, the better. Indian police forces are riddled with problems of corruption and misuse of authority, and are often seen as stooges of the parties in power. Massive increases in manpower, training and infrastructure, along with structural reforms are necessary to stem the rot, and to make meaningful change.
Offcourse none of these issues will ever be addressed. Instead sanctimonious cliches and impassioned speeches will be the order of the day in Parliament, along with band aid, quick fix solutions to tide over public outrage quickly.
Real issues will never be addressed as that requires serious effort at policy making and execution over long periods of time, which go beyond the next elections.