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Delhi criminals don't fear cops; rapes occur daily: Sushma

Last updated on: December 31, 2012 14:04 IST

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj on Monday expressed profound grief over the death of the 23-year-old gang rape victim, and demanded that speedy justice must be meted out in this unfortunate case.

Swaraj said there is anger and outrage in the BJP condolence meet.

"The girl, who had no relations with me, became my own daughter after this incident. She became the daughter of the entire country. I frequently think as to what was her fault. What crime did she commit? For what did she get punished? After analysing, I find that her only crime was that her body was that of a girl. She was born as a girl so she became the prey to the beast," Swaraj told the gathering at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

Swaraj alleged that the criminals move around fearless in the national capital, and added that they have no fear of the Delhi Police for the two are hand-in-glove with each other.

"She came to a city where the criminals are not afraid of the police. This is not one incident; such incidents keep on happening almost every day. Cases of rape in a moving bus are evident of the fact that criminals in this city do not have any fear of the police. A gentleman fears before going to the police station, but a goon enters the police station with his shirt button open and a scarf in his hand," said Swaraj.

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Delhi criminals don't fear cops; rapes occur daily: Sushma

Last updated on: December 31, 2012 14:04 IST

"Buses have today become a den of crime because none of the private buses ply on the road without give and take. Every private bus has a give and take relationship with the police," she added.

Expressing extreme disappointment over the entire handling of the situation by those in power, Swaraj further said the girl is no more, but added that she has awakened the nation's soul.

Swaraj, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, reiterated the BJP's demand for a special session of Parliament.

"I had called up the Prime Minister on the very first day and demanded that a special session of Parliament be called. The home minister rejected my demand. I called up the home minister the very next day and requested him to call an all-party meeting. He even rejected that demand by the evening," said Swaraj.

"Neither do they want to sit together nor do they want to call a special session of Parliament, but they are ready for drama," she added.

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Delhi criminals don't fear cops; rapes occur daily: Sushma

Last updated on: December 31, 2012 14:04 IST

Swaraj also lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government for cremating the victim's body early on Sunday morning.

Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley visited the girl's residence on Monday morning and met the parents of the victim.

Amid outpouring of anger and grief in the country, the gang rape victim's body was flown to New Delhi from Singapore early on Sunday morning and cremated within hours. The cremation took place under a dense cover of fog.

The girl, a physiotherapy student, was gang raped and brutally assaulted allegedly by six men in a moving bus in South Delhi on the night of December 16.

The government, which is under sharp criticism from the opposition parties and the people of the country over the gang-rape incident, has set up a commission of inquiry to identify lapses and fix responsibility for the December 16 case and also constituted a committee of jurists for reviewing the existing laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of sexual assault.

Source: ANI