Hazare slams Centre for not enacting strict law, thwarting Delhi protests

In an open letter to the Prime Minister in his blog on Monday, Anna Hazare accused Manmohan Singh of choking democracy by enforcing Section 144 to thwart a peaceful public movement. He said that had strict laws with provisions for punishments like death penalty or life sentence been enacted, such heinous crimes against women would not have been perpetrated and therefore, the government, which could not get such laws passed in 65 years, is equally to blame.

"It is being reported that six people are guilty of that shameful gangrape. Had there been laws that made such an offence punishable by death or life sentence, then they would not have dared to commit the crime. Doesn't the government feel so? I feel that the guilty should be given the maximum punishment but a government that could not make such laws in the last 65 years is equally to blame," Hazare wrote in the blog.

He demanded that to prevent recurrence of such crimes, the government should enact the women's reservation law.

He said public anger was justified and the outpouring of anger on the streets in a non-violent manner, especially by the youth, was a harbinger of change.

The appeal to protesters to maintain calm came as a postscript.

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