Babul Supriyo also expressed dismay over the climate of fear that women are forced to live in.
Highlights
- Babul Supriyo said even the most stringent punishment can't stop rapists
- He also expressed dismay over the "climate of fear" women have to live in
- The minister was commenting on rape-murder of a veterinarian in Telangana
Even as an enraged nation demanded the death sentence for those behind the rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinarian near Hyderabad, Union Minister Babul Supriyo today claimed that such "cannibals" will continue to exist in society even in the face of the most stringent deterrent.
"I am convinced that no punishment, however stringent it may be, would act as a deterrent to stop such heinous crimes, even if it's the death penalty, because such cannibals/animals will continue to exist in society with their sick belief that they can get away with it!" Mr Supriyo, who represents West Bengal's Asansol constituency in the Lok Sabha, tweeted today.
The Union Minister was immediately countered by followers who believed that he was making a case for not giving the capital punishment to sexual offenders. Mr Supriyo responded by saying that his position in the administration forbids him from advocating such ideas. "No.. am expressing my frustration bcuz as a lawmaker and a minister, I cannot say that these animals do not deserve a trial, or that if an immediate DNA test confirms that any suspect is the culprit, he should be thrown to hungry dogs or eliminated by firing squad. Can I say this??" he asked.
The brutal incident from Wednesday night has provoked a massive outpouring of anger across the country, with many comparing it to the Delhi gangrape of a medical student in 2012. Protesters demanding the speedy sentencing of four suspects arrested in this connection clashed with police in many parts of Telangana on Saturday, and three policemen have been suspended on charges of negligence.
In a previous post, Mr Supriyo had expressed dismay over women being forced to live in such a climate of fear. "Everytime I think of the rape & murder of the lady-vet, I wish I had the powers to burn the four culprits with my eyes. I have two young daughters, the elder one is 20 and it's the same everywhere in the world. Parents remain petrified if the girl is late in returning home at night," he tweeted.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today said that a fast-track court will hear the rape-cum-murder case and ensure that justice is delivered expeditiously. His son, Minister KT Rama Rao, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to amend laws to ensure that rapists are given the capital punishment.
Police claim that the four accused had raped and murdered the woman in the span of an hour on Wednesday night. They set fire to her body under a culvert at Chattanpally around 2:30 am, a top officer said, adding that the arrests were made on the basis of "technical clues".