New Delhi: Against the backdrop of an incident of acid attack on a 17-year-old girl in Delhi, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Thursday demanded a "complete ban" on the retail and online sale of such fatal chemicals.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Mahtab also demanded that the Centre bring in provisions of putting the offenders in jail to deal with the cases of violations of the law pertaining to the sale and purchase of acid. Two bike-borne, masked men flung acid on the girl on Wednesday, minutes after she left her west Delhi residence for school, leaving her with serious injuries. Police have arrested three men, including a neighbour of the victim, in connection with the incident.
The girl, who sustained eight per cent burn injuries in the acid attack, is undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital's burns Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Terming the incident horrific, Mahtab noted that the acid used in the incident was purchased online. "How is acid being made available in retail shops or online despite the Supreme Court's order of 2013? Secondly, why are acid attack victims not being provided the money meant for them? Why do they have to run from pillar to post?" he asked.
The BJD leader demanded a complete ban on the retail sale of acid and said "there is also a need to have penal provisions of prison and not just fine". "If you give sellers and buyers the leeway, the process will be misused," Mahtab added. He said the government of Bangladesh has come up with "a very strict law" in this regard. "So why can we not frame a law? I have submitted a private members' bill also for the consideration of this House," the BJD leader said while urging the government to respond to "these types of issues". (PTI)
