The Congress on Monday said the Supreme Court had exposed the BJP’s “real attitude, character and face” by ruling that fraudulent means had been adopted to secure the release of rapists and murderers in the Bilkis Bano case.

The party expressed surprise that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not uttered a word despite the national outrage at the release and felicitation of the 11 convicts in Gujarat on August 15, 2022.

It said that while the Supreme Court judgment had exposed the mala fide intent of the Gujarat government, the Centre could not escape responsibility, either, because it had approved the remissions.

The Congress asked Modi and the BJP to apologise to Bilkis Bano.

Congress spokesperson and senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi appealed to every citizen to read Monday’s Supreme Court order that set aside the remissions granted to the convicts by the Gujarat government.

“This episode showed the real chal, charitra and chehra (attitude, character and face) of the party that gives sermons on probity in public life. We have seen enough of shamelessness. Hope they don’t deploy more tricks now to provide further relief to the convicts,” Singhvi said.

The Supreme Court castigated the Gujarat government for suppressing facts and usurping the power to grant the remissions, which it lacked the authority to do.

Singhvi said the central government could not escape responsibility because the Union home ministry had given its sanction and concurrence to the release of the convicts despite the brutality of the crime.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge sarcasti said: “Beti Bachao has become doshi bachao. The Supreme Court order has restored justice in the Bilkis case. This has exposed the evil deeds of the home ministry. This shows that the BJP has abandoned justice for women to win elections. The women of the country have understood how perverse and reprehensible the BJP’s anti-women attitude is.”

Singhvi and Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba recalled how VHP and BJP functionaries had taken part in the celebrations held on the convicts’ release and shared the dais with them. They accused the BJP of a tendency to stand with the accused rather than the victims, citing several instances from the recent past.

Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to launch a Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai on January 14, promptly linked the matter to the cause of justice.

“The tendency to kill justice for electoral benefits is dangerous for democracy. The Supreme Court verdict today yet again showed who is the protector of criminals,” he posted on X.

“The tireless struggle of Bilkis Bano is the symbol of victory of justice against the arrogant BJP Government.”

Lamba underlined that the convicts had been released on a day, August 15, Modi had delivered a sermon from the Red Fort on women’s safety.

Lamba referred to the rape charges against certain BJP IT cell office-bearers who had campaigned for the party in the recent Madhya Pradesh elections.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Supreme Court order had unmasked the BJP’s anti-women policies.

“The entire BJP leadership owes an apology to Bilkis Bano. She has faced continuous humiliation at the hands of the Modi-led BJP governments in Gujarat and the Centre,” the Congress general secretary in charge of organisation, K.C. Venugopal, said.

“The Supreme Court verdict is a tight slap on the face of those who set the rapists free and garlanded them. The court has clearly held that the Gujarat government acted in tandem with the rapists to suppress facts and mislead the court.

“The BJP is a party that stands with the rapists and murderers; it cannot be trusted to keep India’s women
safe. They are a threat to
women’s safety. The rapists must be sent back to jail immediately and should never be released.”