Bilkis Bano Case: Priyanka Gandhi Lauds SC Verdict, Says 'Veil Is Off BJP's Anti-Women Policies'

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi hailed the Supreme Court's judgment on Monday, which quashed the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. Priyanka Gandhi asserted that the verdict exposed the BJP's anti-women policies. In a post on Twitter, she stated, "Justice has ultimately prevailed. With this order, the veil over the anti-women policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been removed. After this, public confidence in the justice system will be further strengthened."

She further praised Bilkis Bano for her courageous fight, saying, "Congratulations to Bilkis Bano for continuing her fight bravely." The Congress party also criticized the BJP on Twitter, describing the verdict as a historic decision that exposed the Gujarat government's "anti-women" actions.

अंततः न्याय की जीत हुई है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने गुजरात दंगों के दौरान गैंगरेप की शिकार #BilkisBano के आरोपियों की रिहाई रद्द कर दी है। इस आदेश से भारतीय जनता पार्टी की महिला विरोधी नीतियों पर पड़ा हुआ पर्दा हट गया है। इस आदेश के बाद जनता का न्याय व्यवस्था के प्रति विश्वास और मजबूत…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 8, 2024

Congress leader Pawan Khera commented on the apex court's judgment, stating that it "exposes the BJP's callous disregard for women." He emphasized that justice should not be contingent on the religion or caste of the victim or the perpetrator. Outside Bilkis Bano's home in Devgadh Baria, Gujarat, spontaneous celebrations erupted, marked by firecrackers.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, invalidated the Gujarat government's order granting remission to 11 convicts involved in the gangrape and murder of Bilkis Bano's family during the 2002 Godhra riots. The court directed all 11 convicts to surrender within two weeks, ruling that the Gujarat government was not competent to pass remission orders; this power rested with the Maharashtra government.

The bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan held that the Gujarat government's remission order was a "nullity" and questioned why the state had not sought a review of the court's May 13, 2022, order. The judgment came on a petition by Bilkis Bano and others challenging the premature release of the convicts. Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the post-Godhra riots in 2002, had 11 life-term convicts released on August 15, 2022, under the remission policy in effect in Gujarat in 2008. The remission was not granted under the circular governing the celebration of "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav."