Vijayawada: Justice sought for Bilkis Bano

Vijayawada(NTR District): Dignity for Women AP JAC and Minority Hakkula Parirakshana Samithi jointly organised a protest at Dharna Chowk here on Sunday demanding justice for Bilkis Bano.

Dignity for Women AP JAC convener Dr Chennupati Keerthi demanded that the culprits should be put back in jail. The government's decision to free the convicts will break the courage of women and girls, she pointed out. Keerthi said that they were expressing their solidarity with Bilkis Bano, who fought relentlessly for 20 years of justice since 2002. After years of her struggle in 2008, the criminals were given life imprisonment, she added. ''When the whole country is celebrating Azad ki Amruth Mahotsav, 75 years of India's Independence on August 15, we are all stunned to hear the release of the prisoners in Bilkis Bano case," she noted.

In addition to that, these criminals were felicitated with garlands and taken out in a procession, which is cruel, Keerthi rued. She also said that they would send a representation seeking justice to Bilkis Bano to the President.

Minority Hakkula Parirakshana Samithi State president Farooq Shubli, Congress senior leader Sunkara Padmasri, Abdul Mateen and others participated in the dharna.