Shameful, surprising: Sharad Pawar on release of Bilkis Bano rapists

Sharad Pawar said that the release of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case was shameful.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar referred to the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case, terming the decision as 'shameful'. Iterating that their punishment of life imprisonment was awarded by the High Court and then the Supreme Court, Pawar said that the Gujarat government's move to set those rapists free 'surprised' him, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15.

"We all know about the Bilkis Bano case. First, the trial court, then the High Court, and then the Supreme Court gave them life imprisonment. Even after life imprisonment, the accused were released and felicitated," said Pawar.

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"I am surprised as the prime minister on August 15 says something else. And then, the state which he comes from releases accused who have been convicted by the government. This is a shameful step taken by his party's government," the NCP supremo.

On the country's Independence Day, PM Modi urged fellow countrymen to 'change their mentality towards women in everyday life' and 'support Nari Shakti'.

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The NCP chief said, "Central agencies have been against politicians who were in a non-BJP government. The people's mandate was broken in Karnataka, in Madhya Pradesh with Kamal Nath and with Uddhav Thackeray.