Women`s groups to protest against ordinance on sexual crimes today

New Delhi: Unhappy with provisions of the ordinance over sexual crimes, women`s groups are planning a big protest against it Monday and a signature campaign in the near future. The women`s groups will holding a protest at Jantar Mantar Monday afternoon.

"We are planning a mass signature campaign against the ordinance," said women`s activist Kavita Krishnan, secretary of All India Progressive Women`s Association (AIPWA). "We want to begin a mass awareness campaign about the provisions of the ordinance," Krishnan told a news agency. They are also planning another protest on Feb 7 against the ordinance, which was given presidential assent Sunday. The women`s groups are also planning to hold a "vigil" outside parliament when it meets for the budget session Feb 21. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013, will be placed before parliament for passage to make it into a law. While well-known lawyer Rebecca John termed the ordinance a "bit of a joke", Krishan described its provisions as "appalling". The ordinance was passed by the cabinet Friday. It is based largely on former Supreme Cpurt Chief Justice JS Verma`s report. The Verma committee was set up by the government last month to review laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault. This followed the country wide outrage over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman here Dec 16. The victim died in a Singapore hospital 13 days later. IANS