Srinagar : Demanding stringent punishment for rapists of eight-year-old Asifa and those who are trying to shield them, President Jammu Kashmir Bachao Tehreek and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil Friday said that J&K High court should take notice of the serious issue and cancel the license of the lawyers who are part of the “shameful act”.  In a statement issued here, Vakil said some vested interests are trying to derive political mileage out of a brutal and inhuman act that has shaken the conscience of every human being on earth.”It is a shameful act and against the human values on part of these lawyers and their political masters, who instead of helping the victim’s family to get justice, behaved like hooligans,” he said.

Mr Vakil said while the silence of BJP on the issue was already shameful, it is irony to see Congress playing a double policy for its political benefits.“The politicians and ministers who are backing the pro-rapist rallies should be sacked by their parties. Be it the spokesman of BJP or Congress or any other party, the respective Parties should take action against those involved in trying to shield the culprits,”. He demanded that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should resign on moral grounds as they have failed to save Beti (daughter). “Now we have to Bachao Beti from these political goons who are trying to polarise the situation only to draw political mileage out of the inhuman act,” he said.

Mr Vakil said Modi and Mehbooba have no right to rule. “Nobody is safe in their hands.”He expressed surprise on the shameful lawyers and politicians who come on roads on support of the criminals as if these people don’t have their “mothers and daughters”. “These criminals should be hanged so that it becomes a lesson for others,” he said. Mr Vakil expressed satisfaction that the conscience of Indian people on the issue has finally woken up even after a long time. “As they say better late than never. Had the conscience of people had woken up a bit earlier, today we would have punished the rapists and murderers,” he said. Mr Vakil said the gruesome rape and murder reminds us of the challenges confronting our society. “A criminal is a criminal irrespective of his caste, colour and creed and must be dealt according to law. By evoking emotions and giving communal colour to rape-and-murder case, fringe elements are committing a heinous crime against humanity,” he said.