Javadekar must ask MHA, Delhi Police over delay in hanging Nirbhaya convicts: Sisodia

Sisodia said the Delhi government is of the view that the culprits should be hanged at the earliest and the Delhi government had immediately rejected the mercy plea and sent it to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

The AAP leader asked Javadekar to enquire from the Union Home Minister regarding the delay of the matter.

Sisodia said, "Today morning I was busy with filing my nomination, but I was asked by some mediapersons to respond to statements made by Mr Prakash Javadekar in his PC. Then I even saw his PC to find out what exactly he had said. And it really pained me to see that on such a sensitive matter, a minister in the Central Government is lying before the entire nation. I was also surprised that he did not hesitate at all while making such a blatantly untruthful statement."

"On such an important and sensitive matter which everyone is waiting for, entire justice system and Nirbhaya's parents are waiting for this, every woman and her family is waiting for this, and on that they are lying openly.”

He said the Delhi government is in favour of time-bound conviction and execution of rapists. "How can the BJP blame us for any delay?" he asked.

"I want to tell Mr Javadekar that BJP directs the police, the Home Ministry and is responsible for law and order in Delhi. For administration of Tihar jail, the DG of Tihar reports to you and then you blame us for delay? I want to ask you Mr Javadekar is Delhi Police and maintaining law and order in Delhi your responsibility or not, whether or not you look after Tihar's administration and appoint Tihar's DG or not, will you even take some responsibility or not? asked Sisodia.

He alleged that the BJP had no issues to take to people during election nor work to show and it was standing on shaky ground.

Demanding that the party should not make such statements on such sensitive matters, he said "Why is Amit Shah ji escaping his responsibility? Why are you lying to the people just before elections? You are misleading people. I want to ask you why your government delayed the matter, why are you no taking the responsibility? And if you are unable to do it, I am saying again that just give us the responsibility of Delhi police for two days and we will make sure that convicts in Nirbhaya case are hanged."

Earlier in the day, Javadekar targeted the AAP regime in Delhi for delaying the hanging of the convicted in the Nirbhaya rape case.

"The culprits of the Nirbhaya case haven't been hanged yet is only because of AAP's callous nature. The Supreme Court had denied their appeal back in 2017 and had punished them to be hanged till death," the union minister told reporters here.

"Why did the AAP government in Delhi delay the process....people will question them on these," he said, maintaining that there is still time to appeal. "Who gave this additional time?" he asked.

"The negligence of AAP government is solely responsible for delaying the process," he said in reference to observation made by the Delhi government counsel in the Delhi High Court that the hanging of the four convicts in the infamous gang-rape case will not be held on the scheduled date of Jan 22, as the execution could take place only 14 days after the rejection of the mercy petition.