Rajya Sabha passes anti-rape bill

The debate over the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill 2013 in Rajya Sabha on Thursday was much better than it was in Lok Sabha, even when members like Jaya Bachchan (SP) showed her temper and temperament.  Though the debate lasted from a little after noon to about 3.45 pm, many of the speakers, including a large number of women, spoke in a pointed manner.

Maya Singh (BJP) opened the debate. But the two MPs who struck a chord were Bachchan and CPI’s T Seema.

Bachchan got going and said the government brought the bill in a hurry, and that there should have been wider consultations. She said that it just not men who stalked men but women did that to men as well. She said she did not want boys from poor families locked up because of complaints from well-heeled families. She was also unhappy with provisions with regard to recording of evidence and cross-examination, which she said were humiliating. While welcoming acid attack as a sexual offense, she said the punishment for it should be made equivalent to murder.

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