Pilloried by Opposition over a spate of rape incidents in Uttar Pradesh, CM Mayawati announced that the CrPC will be amended to complete trials in six months in such cases, make the offences non-bailable and provide harsher punishment to the guilty.
Rattled by the Opposition onslaught on her government less than a year before the Assembly polls, Mayawati also said she has called a high-level meet of state officials on 27th June to work out strategies.
She called the proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) “important”.“Keeping in view incidents of rape and other crimes against women, my government has decided to effect some important amendments in the CrPC,” Mayawati told reporters in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The BSP chief said section 437 and 439 of the CrPC would be amended to ensure that the trial is completed within six months and cases of assault made non-bailable.
“Provision will be made that the accused does not get bail till the time he is proved innocent,” she said.
Mayawati said that an Ordinance to this effect was being forwarded to the governor. She said the 27th June meeting will be attended by top police and administrative officers.
“I myself will chair the meeting…directives will be issued to launch a month-long campaign at all police stations,” she said.
The Chief Minister alleged a conspiracy by the opposition parties to defame the government in some cases.
Mayawati said that those levelling allegations must remember that UP is the most populous state and therefore has bigger problems.
She alleged that with an eye on the assembly elections an effort was being made to defame her government.
“Allegations are being levelled for political gain with an eye on the Vidhan Sabha polls. Such allegations are politically motivated and I do not see any truth in it. It is my request to the opposition parties that they should not do politics on such sensitive incident, instead help the government on humanitarian grounds,” she said.
Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, she said that rate of rape cases in UP was very low as compared to Congress and BJP-ruled states.
She said that while rate of crime against women in UP was 11.9 percent, it was 30.7 in Andhra Pradesh, 21.9 in Haryana, 26.2 in Rajasthan and 23.9 in Delhi ruled by the Congress and 13.9 in Gujarat and 22.3 in MP ruled by the BJP.
“While rate of rape cases in UP is 0.9 per cent, it is 1.4 in AP, 5.3 in Assam, 4 in Chattisgarh, 4.2 in MP and 2.6 in Delhi,” she alleged.
“In Lakhimpur incident opposition parties and even the Centre made all out efforts to defame the government. Facts which have emerged during inquiry is entirely different from the statements given by the opposition parties.
“Whatever allegations have been levelled are baseless and far from facts. The inquiry is going on and the findings will be made public soon,” she added.
“As far as statement by SP leaders is concerned, people have not forgotten its goondaraj and atrocities. They have no moral right to raise fingers,” she said.
She said a directive will be issued to prepare a list of people having bad character and efforts should be made to reform them and if they do not improve then sternest legal action would be taken against them.
“Characterless people will not be spared,” she said.