No Mercy For Rapists, Do Away With Mercy Petitions: President Ram Nath Kovind
Mumbai: As entire India is outraged at multiple incidents of rape and heinous crime against women, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that there should be no provision of mercy pleas for the person who have been convicted of a crime under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
While addressing a gathering after inaugurating the National Conference on ‘Empowerment of Women for Social Transformation’ at the Brahma Kumaris’ headquarters in Rajasthan’s Mount Abu, “Rape convicts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should not be allowed mercy petition.”
The parliament is in the way to get the final call in this matter he added. Calling women’s safety a “serious issue”, he said: “Parliament should review mercy petitions.”
In fact, the President called for an amendment to the Constitution with regards to mercy petitions. “I recommended that there should be an amendment to the Constitution with regards to the mercy petition. In my opinion, people convicted under the POCSO Act should not be allowed to come under the ambit of mercy petition.”
President Kovind went on adding: “There should be no mercy for rapists. This kind of incidents shocked the whole nation.”
The President asserted that it is the responsibility of every citizen to sensitise sons towards the honour of women. The social transformation can happen only through women empowerment, added the President.
The president’s suggestion comes against the backdrop of the Union Government forwarding him the Delhi government’s recommendation rejecting the mercy plea of one of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case that shook the conscience of the nation. Meanwhile, Nirbhaya’s parents to have filed an application before the President for rejection of mercy pleas of the convicts.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and interesting stories.
