The Opposition on Tuesday questioned Narendra Modi’s commitment to women’s safety after the BJP government in Gujarat freed 11 life convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape and massacre case within hours of the Prime Minister pivoting his Independence Day speech on “nari shakti (women’s power)”.

A five-months pregnant Bilkis was gang-raped and seven members of her family killed, including her three-year-old daughter, during the 2002 Gujarat riots. On Monday, the state government freed the 11 life convicts under its remission policy.

The Opposition alleged that the freeing of the convicts had exposed the “real face” of “New India” under the BJP. They said the remission granted by the Gujarat government was a violation of the Centre’s guidelines and demanded withdrawal of the order.

In June this year, proposing a special release policy for convicted prisoners to mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence), the Centre issued guidelines to states. Rape convicts are listed among those who are not to be granted release under the policy.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Prime Minister Modi should tell the country if he himself believed in what he said in favour of women’s safety, respect and empowerment.

“The BJP government in Gujarat released 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. This decision brings out the BJP government’s mindset,” he told reporters.

Khera referred to the Kathua and Unnao rape cases and said it embarrasses everyone in politics when office-bearers and supporters of a national party are seen taking out rallies in favour of rapists. The 11 convicts in the Bilkis case were greeted with sweets and garlands outside Godhra sub-jail after their release.

“Yesterday from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime Minister spoke big things about women’s safety, women’s power, women’s respect. A few hours later the Gujarat government released those behind the rape of Bilkis. We also saw that the convicts in the rape who were released are being honoured. Is this Amrit Mahotsav?” he said.

“The Congress asks the Prime Minister to tell the country that what he said at the Red Fort were merely words as he himself does not believe in his words. Who is the real Narendra Modi? The one who serves up falsehood from the ramparts of the Red Fort or the one who gets his Gujarat government to release those behind rape? The Congress and the country want to know,” Khera said.

The CPM strongly condemned the release of the convicts, saying in a tweet that “this is the real face of New India — convicted killers and rapists released” and activist Teesta Setalvad “who fought for justice was jailed”.

CPM politburo member Brinda Karat said the release of the convicts was a blatant violation of the Centre’s guidelines excluding those convicted of rape, gang rape and murder from the benefits of remission from a full-life-term imprisonment.

“Of what value is the Prime Minister’s statements for women’s dignity from the ramparts of the Red Fort when his own party-led government shows such criminal partisanship towards rapists and murderers. The order must be immediately rescinded,” she said.

The Trinamul Congress said the Gujarat government had freed “monsters”.

Party spokesperson Saket Gokhale pointed out that Bilkis was “raped in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom and her entire family was murdered and buried in a mass grave”.

“Gujarat govt has now released all 11 monsters who were convicted of this heinous crime. Where’s the outrage by people & the Noida media? Not even a whimper,” he tweeted.

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi drew attention to Modi’s Independence Day speech in which he asked Indians to take a pledge not to do anything that lowers the dignity of women.

“He said something about supporting ‘Nari Shakti’. Gujarat BJP govt released criminals convicted of gang rape on the same day. The message is clear,” Owaisi tweeted.

Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali also referred to the Prime Minister’s remarks and said the release of the 11 convicts had exposed the huge gap between words and the spirit of justice. “The world is watching but who cares in ‘New India’?” Ali tweeted.

CPIML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said: “The murder of a Dalit child for drinking water from an ‘upper caste’ pot in an RSS-run school in Rajasthan and the release of 11 rape and murder convicts in Gujarat in the Bilkis Bano case tell us that something is truly rotten in the state of India after 75 years of freedom.”