The Secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association,...

The Secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association, Brinda Karat, said the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani's statement in Parliament favouring capital punishment for rape was a "simple attempt to win political applause." Responding to questions from members of Parliament, Mr. Advani said he was in favour of death penalty for rapists. The women's organisations in the country could take his remarks only as a populist response, a "political grandstand play," Ms. Karat said at a press conference. "It is not the law which is lenient towards rapists, but the political system in the country. In 85 per cent of rape cases, the men get acquitted. Even in cases where the accused are convicted, courts seldom award the maximum punishment stipulated under the existing laws. There is laxity on the part of the police in investigating the cases. Even those who rape children go unpunished" she said.