By Muslim Mirror Desk
Sparking yet another controversy, a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) MP from Assam, Ram Prasad Sarmah on Wednesday demanded that rape convicts be shot dead in public in a bid to instill fear in the minds of perpetrators.
The BJP MP from Assam said this while referring to the rape and murder of a 5th class student in Assam’s Nagaon district. The girl was raped and set on fire by three persons, two of whom were minors. The whole area had descended into pall of gloom on knowing the news.
Asserting that shooting squads should be created who would kill rape convicts he said “There should be shooting squads set up to deal with rapists. There should be a punishment of minimum 10 years in prison for assaulting, molesting or touching a woman.” He further added “A crime like rape cannot go unpunished. If a minor can commit rape, why should he be considered a juvenile? He should be given the maximum punishment as well. A rapist should be hanged or shot in public.”
The capital punishment is rarely awarded to convicts in India, however, there has been surge in voices calling for death punishment to rapists in the recent past, particularly from government quarters.