Nirbhaya case: Don't do politics, Kejriwal tells Irani on being blamed for delay in convicts' execution

"Why was the prison department, which comes under the AAP government, sleeping after the dismissal of review petition in July 2018? Why did the government give Rs 10,000 and a sewing kit to the juvenile rapist when he was released? Didn't they see tears of Nirbhaya's mother?" she was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

"I want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that after the rejection of the review petition, because of you the convicts couldn't be hanged in time. Such parties should be shamed- this is not only my party's view but also of every law abiding citizen of the country," she added.

In response to her allegations, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there should not be any politics over the issue.

"I feel sad politics is being done on such issue. Shouldn't we be working together to ensure that the guilty are hanged soonest? Shouldn't we join hands to ensure a system so that such beasts get hanged within 6 months? Please don't do politics on this. Lets together create a safe city for our women," Kejriwal tweeted.

He also shared a video to urge all from refraining themselves from indulging in politics over this matter.

As President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, who is one of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case, the victim's parents welcomed the verdict and urged authorities to ensure that the convicts are executed on Jan 22.

"I am happy with the verdict and thank President for his decision," Nirbhaya's father told media.

"I welcome the decision taken by the President. But it will only be impactful if they are hanged on January 22," her mother Asha Devi told media.

"I appeal the government and the court to ensure they are hanged on Jan 22," she said.

Amid the blamegame between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules Delhi, over the delay in execution of the convicts, Asha Devi told media that people who had protested in 2012 are now playing with her daughter for political points. 

The Union Home Ministry had earlier forwarded Mukesh's mercy petition to the President.

All the four accused- Mukesh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar Singh and Pawan Gupta- were to be hanged at 7 am on Jan 22.

However, the Delhi government had informed the Delhi High Court that the hanging can't take place as Mukesh had filed a mercy plea.

On Dec 16, 2012, Nirbhaya, who was a 23-year female physiotherapy intern, was gang-raped, assaulted and tortured at a private bus in Delhi when she was travelling with her friend.

She was raped by six people including the driver of the bus.

The victim had succumbed to her injuries 13 days after the horrific crime was committed.

The incident had sparked national and international outrage. Both the state and central government were brought under the scanner for not providing adequate protection to women in the national capital.