Ahmedabad: The early release of eleven criminals who have been convicted for the rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots prompted three Congress MLAs in Gujarat to write to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her immediate intervention in revoking the decision.
Calling the release of the rapists, who have been sentenced to life in jail, "extremely shocking", the Congress MLAs Gyasuddin Shaikh of Dariyapur and Imran Khedawala of Jamalpur, both from Ahmedabad, and MLA from Wankaner Javed Pirzada said in the letter that Gujarat's BJP government tainted the sacredness of the Independence by choosing the day for their release.
They further appealed to President Murmu to direct the Gujarat government and the Union Home Ministry to cancel the release of the criminals who did a heinous crime.
The MLAs said that they found it more shocking that the BJP government of the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is talking of respecting women, has released the convicts who were imprisoned for gangraping a five-month pregnant woman and murdering seven of Bilkis Bano's family members.
The letter also noted that the release of such "hardened criminals" and they are being welcomed back and felicitated is an "inhuman gesture" and sets a "dangerous precedent".