Strong law just a small part of rape battle: PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday admitted that the country still had a long way to go in ensuring safety of women and conceded that passing a strong law was only a small part of what was needed to be done to prevent cases like the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Delhi. The girl’s condition is now stable and out of danger, as per doctors at AIIMS hospital.

“We have vast improvements to make in the vital area of safety, security and status of women in our society....The gruesome assault on a little girl a few days back reminds us once again of the need to work collectively to root out this sort of depravity from our society. The agitations that have followed the two incidents also point to the need for showing concern and sensitivity while dealing with the public anxiety that such incidents generate,” the PM said, addressing the country’s top bureaucrats on Civil Services Day.

He put the onus on citizens to contribute to the social and economic empowerment of women in our country. Three police officials have been suspended following the rape, but the Home Ministry is still to take tougher action in the matter amidst demands to sack the Delhi Police Commissioner. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party members protested again on Sunday outside the Delhi Police Headquarters and the PM’s residence, demanding the Commissioner’s removal. Meanwhile, after BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury has also backed death penalty for rapists of minors.