The Gujarat government had earlier released the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case, prompting a wave of criticism by the opposition.
The recent developments in the Bilkis Bano rape case, which made headlines once again last month, are being protested by a group of social activists after the Gujarat government decided to release the convicts in the case under its remission policy.
A group of social activists will take out a 'padyatra' (foot march) from Randhikpur in Dahod district of Gujarat to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to protest the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.
The 11 were released from jail in Godhra on August 15 after they were granted remission by the Gujarat government.
The activists will march under the banner of 'Hindu Muslim Ekta Samiti' and cover the 180-kilometer distance between September 26 and October 4, with social activist Sandeep Pandey and MLA Jignesh Mevani set to participate along with 25 others, organising committee member Kalim Siddique said.
The release of the convicts is a matter of shame in a country that is identified the world over for its spirituality and the values and virtues of Mahatma Gandhi, the group said in a release.
"It is a shame that Gujarat, which produced a global stalwart like Mahatma Gandhi, is silent today on people who have committed heinous crimes," it added.
There was a need to speak out "so that humanity survives so that moral values and ethical standards are respected so that innocent people feel safe and criminals are discouraged", the group said. It said the march was to tell Bilkis Bano that "we're sorry" and to hope that such a fate does not befall anyone else.
Bilkis Bano was gang-raped and several of her kin were killed in the post-Godhra riots that took place in the state in 2002. The accused in the cases were convicted by the court and given a sentence of life imprisonment.
After 15 years of being in prison, the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case were released by the Gujarat government, sparking a wave of criticism by opposition leaders. After the controversy regarding their release broke out, the Supreme Court decided to hear the plea regarding reversing the decision of the state government.
(With PTI inputs)
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 "Bilkis Bano case: 180 km padyatra to be held by social activists to protest release of 11 gang rape convicts")
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