Sharia-like laws needed to curb rape: Raj Thackeray

MNS chief Raj Thackeray visited Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district’s Karjat tehsil on Monday and met the family of the minor girl who was recently gangraped and murdered. (Photo: Asian Age )

Firebrand MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday said that Sharia-like laws were needed to rein in cases of rape and other crimes against women. He said that the hands and legs of those who raped and killed minors and women should be cut off, and that the SC and ST prevention of atrocities act should be amended to stop its misuse.

Mr Thackeray was on a visit to Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district where three men raped and killed a 15-year-old girl on July 13. He met family members of the deceased and offered his condolences.

“There is an urgent need to create laws like Sharia (Islamic law) for controlling serious crimes against women and children. Anti-social elements are creating a state of terror and there is need to make laws stringent,” he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led government, Mr Thackeray said that there was no improvement in the state’s law and order situation despite change in government.

“Such incidents are the outcome of the collapsed law and order situation in the state and the present government is proving itself to be worse than the past Congress-NCP led government,” he asserted.

Reacting to the government announcing conduct of trial in the Kopardi case in a fast track court, the MNS chief said, “These announcements are being made only because the state legislature is in session and government is answerable to the assembly. Once the session is over, everything will go back to slow track, including their fast track court.”