Don't do politics over Nirbhaya case, Arvind Kejriwal tells BJP

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the BJP on Friday not to indulge in politics over the Nirbhaya rape case and instead work together in ensuring that justice in such cases is delivered at the earliest.

Reacting to Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani blaming the AAP government for the "delay" in hanging of the four convicts, Kejriwal said he felt "sad that politics is being done on such an issue".

"I feel sad that politics is being done on such an issue. Shouldn't we be working together to ensure that the guilty are hanged soonest?


"Shouldn't we join hands to ensure a system so that such beasts get hanged within six months? Please don't do politics on this. Lets together create a safe city for our women," Kejriwal said in a tweet.



Addressing a press conference, Irani said, "Why was the prisons department, which comes under AAP government, sleeping after the dismissal of review petition in July 2018? Why did the government give Rs 10,000 and a sewing kit to the juvenile rapist when he was released?"

Four convicts, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan and Mukesh were convicted and sentenced to death for raping a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus in the national capital on December 16. The victim, who was later given the name Nirbhaya, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Singapore where she had been airlifted for medical treatment.

The four convicts will now be hanged to death at Delhi's Tihar Jail at 6 a.m. on February 1, after the earlier date on January 22 was extended over legal procedure.
( Inputs from other agencies)