Nirbhaya Case: Arvind Kejriwal Says 'Don't Do Politics' As BJP Blames AAP For 'Delay' In Hanging Convicts

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has appealed that politics should not be done over execution of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. Kejriwal's comment came after Union Minister Smriti Irani blamed Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for the delay in the execution of the four convicts.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, "I feel sad that politics being done on such an issue. Shouldn't we be working together to ensure the guilty are hanged soonest? Shouldn't we join hands to ensure a system so that such beasts get hanged within 6 months? Pl don’t do politics on this. Lets together create a safe city for our women."

Irani had earlier in the day said that it was because of the Aam Aadmi Party government in the Capital that the convicts on death row could not be hanged in a time-bound manner after their review petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court in July 2019.

Accusing the Delhi government of depriving the victim’s mother of timely justice she said, "Why was the prisons department, which comes under the AAP government, sleeping after the dismissal of the review petition in July 2018? Why did the government give Rs 10,000 and a sewing kit to the juvenile rapist when he was released?"

The Delhi government, on its part, reiterated that the execution could not be carried out on January 22 as earlier scheduled since two of the convicts had initially filed curative petitions and then one of them had followed it up with a mercy plea, which was sent to President Ram Nath Kovind. According to prison rules, convicts on death row have to be given a 14-day notice even if their mercy pleas are rejected.

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On Friday, after the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh was rejected by President Kovind, a Delhi court issued fresh death warrants for the convicts who will now be executed at 6 am on February 1.