Bilkis verdict: Victory of justice against 'arrogant' BJP govt, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to ask 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case to surrender within two weeks. The former Congress chief hit out at the BJP government in Gujarat after the apex court gave the verdict.

Hyderabad/New Delhi: Hailing the Supreme Court's decision to direct 11 convicts to surrender within two weeks in the Bilkis Bano case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Bilkis Bano's tireless struggle is a symbol of victory of justice against the arrogant BJP government.

"The tendency to 'kill justice' for electoral gains is dangerous for the democratic system. Today the Supreme Court's decision once again told the country who is the 'patron of criminals'. Bilkis Bano's tireless struggle is a symbol of the victory of justice against the arrogant BJP government," Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress chief, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

While stating that "compassion and sympathy have no role to play where rule of law is required to be enforced," the top court on Monday asked the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case to surrender before jail authorities in Gujarat within two weeks. After quashing the remission granted to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan asked should all the accused be sent back to prison?

Rahul Gandhi's sister and senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said justice had prevailed. "Ultimately justice has prevailed. The Supreme Court has canceled the release of the accused (of) #BilkisBano who was gang-raped during the Gujarat riots. With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this order, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened. Congratulations to Bilkis Bano for continuing her fight bravely," Priyanka wrote on X.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also welcomed the order of the top court. "The Supreme Court judgement quashing the release of 11 rapists of #BilkisBano by Gujarat Govt exposes the BJP’s callous disregard for Women! It is a slap on the face of those who facilitated the illegal release of these criminals and also those who garlanded the convicts and fed sweets to them, by bulldozing justice. India will not allow administration of justice to be incumbent on the religion or the caste of the victim or the perpetrator of a crime," Khera wrote on his X handle.