Shashi Tharoor wants new rape law to be named after Delhi gang-rape victim

Zeenews Bureau New Delhi: In order to keep the identity secret of the 23-year old girl who was brutally raped in the national capital, ‘Delhi’s braveheart’ has been called by various names – ‘Damini’, ‘Nirbhaya’, ‘Amanat’. But Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shashi Tharoor wants the new rape laws to be named after the para-medical student and has questioned the decision to keep the name of the rape victim a secret. Tharoor tweeted on Tuesday, "Wondering what interest is served by continuing anonymity of #DelhiGangRape victim. Why not name & honour her as a real person w/own identity?" He also tweeted - "Unless her parents object, she should be honoured & the revised anti-rape law named after her. She was a human being w/a name, not just a symbol.” Tharoor has been known to speak his mind and has courted controversy before over his ‘cattle class’ remarks. Under the law, the identity of a rape victim cannot be disclosed and printing or publishing the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom rape is committed is an offence under section 228-A of Indian Penal Code. His comments also came close on the heels of Delhi Police registering a case against English daily for publishing material which could lead to the identification of the victim.

Tharoor`s comments sparked instant reactions on Twitter with people supporting and questioning his suggestions. The girl was gang-raped and viciously assaulted allegedly by six persons in a moving bus in South Delhi on December 16. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. The aftermath of the gang-rape has seen an unprecedented uproar in the country with people protesting for a stricter laws for women. With PTI inputs