Asha Devi was shocked and disheartened to know that Indira Jaising, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, thinks she should forgive the four men who gang-raped her daughter, Nirbhaya.
Nirbhaya’s mother said that she ‘can’t believe’ how Jaising suggested this and that it is ‘because of people like her that justice is not done with rape victims.’
Indira Jaising on Friday had asked Nirbhaya’s mother to forgive her daughter’s rapists, citing the example of how Sonia Gandhi forgave Nalini, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
‘Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? The whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims,’ ANI quoted Asha Devi as saying.
Nirbhaya’s mother claimed that she had met Indira Jaising several times in the Supreme Court but ‘not once’ was the senior advocate concerned about her well being.
‘Today she is speaking for the convicts. Such people earn a livelihood by supporting rapists, hence rape incidents don’t stop,’ said Nirbhaya’s mother.
‘We Identify With Her Pain’
Indira Jaising on Friday took to Twitter to express her views after Asha Devi showed her disappointment when a Delhi court delayed the date of the execution of the four convicts.
‘While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she didn’t want the death penalty for her. We are with you but against the death penalty,’ Indira Jaising tweeted.
Nalini Sriharan was sentenced to death in former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case.
Her death penalty was changed to life term imprisonment after Sonia Gandhi urged for clemency on account of the fact that Nalini gave birth to a baby girl in the jail.
Nirbhaya’s father said this is a ‘wrong message.’ ‘She is a woman herself. She should be ashamed of her comments and apologise to Nirbhaya’s mother,’ he told the media.
‘We have been fighting the case for seven years. We are common people and not politicians. Humara dil Sonia Gandhi ji jitna bada nahi hai (We are not as large-hearted as Sonia Gandhi),’ he said.
He also demanded an apology from Jaising, who is known for her stand against capital punishment.
Asha Devi had lashed out at political parties earlier on Friday, stating that ‘the same people who had in 2012 gone around participating in rallies and raised slogans for women’s safety are playing with the death of my daughter for their political gains. They have stopped the execution for their political gains.’
The death-row convicts who were to be executed on January 22 at 7 am will now be hanged on February 1 at 6 am.
Asha Devi claimed that the convicts got what they wished for. ‘I will not be satisfied until they are hanged,’ Nirbhaya’s mother said.
Four convicts, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan and Mukesh were convicted and sentenced to death for raping Nirbhaya in a moving bus in the national capital on the night of December 16, 2012.
Also Read: Exclusive: ‘I Am Fighting Every Day’: Seven Years On, Nirbhaya’s Mother Awaits Justice
