Anti Rape Bill

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said she supports it, but the new anti-rape bill cleared by the Cabinet yesterday is unlikely to see easy passage in Parliament, with some key political parties slamming its provisions, especially the move to lower the age of consent from 18 to 16.

A new proposal for tough anti-rape laws has been delayed again by the government, which has been keen to telegraph its commitment to improving safety for women since the fatal gang-rape of a student on a Delhi bus triggered protests and a call for change.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said she supports it, but the new anti-rape bill cleared by the Cabinet yesterday is unlikely to see easy passage in Parliament, with some key political parties slamming its provisions, especially the move to lower the age of consent from 18 to 16.

A new proposal for tough anti-rape laws has been delayed again by the government, which has been keen to telegraph its commitment to improving safety for women since the fatal gang-rape of a student on a Delhi bus triggered protests and a call for change.