New Delhi, Apr 12 (UNI) Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that she will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from Friday at Rajghat, till her demand of giving capital punishment to children and women rapists within six months is not fulfilled.
'From tomorrow I will sit on an indefinite hunger strike. The system cannot tolerate the rape of the children and Centre's silence on it. Unless the demands are considered, I will not eat food. The Centre should give strict punishment to the children and women rapists within six months and should support the Unnao and Kathua rape victims,' Ms Maliwal said.
"The DCW has been petitioning you for the past 2.5 years to devise a system that ensures that those who rape minors are punished with death in six months' time. We also sent you 5.5 lakh letters of support to back this demand," the DCW chief wrote in her letter.
Ms Maliwal went on to question Mr Modi's silence on matter of crimes against women.
"I'm saddened that far from doing something about this sensitive subject, the nation's Prime Minister doesn't even deign to comment on it," she said.
Allahabad High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government over the Unnao rape case and custodial death of the victim's father.
It questioned whether the UP government would arrest accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
According to the victim, who was a minor at the time of the rape, the Bangermau MLA raped her on June 17 last year. Her father died in judicial custody on Monday, a week after he was allegedly thrashed by the brother and supporters of the legislator.
The incident of rape against an eight-year-old girl at Kathua has also evoked sharp reactions from several quarters.
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