Mamata calls SC verdict in Bilkis Bano case ‘strong and bold’

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee called the Supreme Court verdict in the Bilkis Bano case “strong and bold” and said that she is grateful to the apex court for taking such a decision.

Banerjee on Monday visited Sagar Island to oversee preparations for the Gangasagar Mela. Asked as to what is her reaction to the apex court verdict in the Bilkis Bano case, she said: “I am grateful to the Supreme Court because this judgement in itself proves that the perpetrators of the Bilkis Bano case got off scot-free which should not have happened. The rapists were roaming freely which is not right. I admire the Supreme Court’s decision which is a strong and bold judgement.”

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident in February 2002. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed.

Pointed out by the media that the court held the state of Gujarat was not a competent authority to have decided the issue of remission of the convicts, she said that under the BJP-led government, the country has seen many aberrations. She cited the example of the wrestler Sakshi Malik who resigned from wrestling after Sanjay Singh was appointed as the president of Wrestling Federation of India. He was considered close to the former president Brij Bhushan Singh against whom allegations of sexual harassment were levelled by the women wrestlers.

TMC wrote on X: “The Supreme Court’s ruling quashing the release of 11 rapists of Bilkis Bano by Gujarat Govt lays bare BJP’s utter indifference to women! It is a slap on the face of BJP who facilitated the release of these criminals and glorified the convicts! Justice will always prevail over political agendas!”