Do or die situation, says Maliwal on 7th day of her fast

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NEWDELHI: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal’s indefinite fast for demanding the death penalty for people convicted for raping minors entered into its seventh day on Thursday.

Maliwal, who is fasting at Samta Sthal (near Rajghat), said it was a “do or die” situation for her and she will only call off her fast if she gets a written assurance from the Centre on her demands.

The DCW chief, who has seen a string of visitors throughout her fast, said that her demands included a change in the existing law, along with increase in the number of police personnel, software to digitise the functioning of police force for more accountability and fast track courts to decide on rape cases within six months.

Maliwal on Thursday said that she has done all she could and the hunger strike was her last resort to get the laws changed.

“I have written letters to the PM and the home minister. The DCW launched a campaign and submitted signatures to the PMO also. If the PM is ziddi (stubborn), his daughter is more ziddi,” she said.

“There needs to be an action plan and timelines to achieve things. There should be a written commitment from the government. Only then will I call off my fast,” Maliwal said. Day 1: Former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha

Day 2: December 16 gangrape

victim’s parents

Day 3: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and minister Gopal Rai

Day 4: Senior BJP leader and Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha

Day 5: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP ND Gupta

Day 6: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav

Day 7: Communist Party of India MP (Member of Parliament) D Raja

Maliwal’s demands has been criticised by a group of women activists, even as they supported her unequivocally condemning incidents of rapes. The activists, in an open letter to Maliwal, said there was no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to rape.

The DCW volunteers said Maliwal has become weak but doctors checking on her have not yet suggested that she should call off the strike. “Her weight has gone down from 67 kilos to 62 kilos,” a volunteer close to Maliwal said.