By IANS,
New Delhi: The BJP Saturday condemned police action on youth protesting against the gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman, while party leader Sushma Swaraj demanded a special session of parliament to frame a law providing for exemplary punishment for crimes against women.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L. K. Advani called up Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to express his concern over the police action on young protesters who were seeking justice for the gangrape victim.
Sushma Swaraj, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, said on social website Twitter that she had called upon the government to call a special session of parliament.
“I have just spoken to prime minister. I requested the prime minister for a special session of parliament to frame a law to provide for exemplary punishment for crimes against women,” she tweeted.
She said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured her that he will consider this suggestion.
“I have also spoken to Krishna Tirath, minister for women and child development in this regard,” she said.
The BJP leader said that people were genuinely angry and stressed she has always maintained that rapists should be punished with death sentence.
Advani, who called up Shinde, told him that that there was need to appreciate the concern of the protesters and that their anger was justified.
Citing reports of police taking “severe action” against the protesters, Advani said that Shinde should ask the senior police and administration officials to reason with protesters to disperse instead of using force against them.
Advani said Shinde agreed with him and promised to take up the issue with the Delhi police.
People should feel that right action was being taken by the authorities, he added.
Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad earlier in the day condemned police action on the protestors and said boys and girls were deeply disturbed “over the manner in which Delhi had become rape capital” and were at Janpath and on the streets.
“The girls are feeling insecure. The prime minister ought to have spoken to them,” he said.
Referring to the police action against people, including students, protesting at Raisina Hill, he said the government should have been sensitive to their concerns.
“They were lathicharged and water cannons used on them. Whole (action) of police is deeply condemnable,” Prasad said.
“They are our children…the BJP condemns the police action outright,” he added.