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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's demand for a review of rape laws was not justifiable.
"What amendment is he talking about? The court already has a set of rules as to what quantum punishment one needs to be given. That's why the juveniles are sent to correctional homes and they are not given punishment. They are sent to such correctional homes only to ensure that they never commit such acts in the future. I simply cannot understand on why he wants to change such laws. One must also think about from the victim's point of view, whose life gets destroyed when someone commits rape. It is important that the person who has committed such acts must express remorse for that. In the entire world, such laws have been debated, and hence, one must not raise further questions or it will hurt public sentiments," Khurshid said.
Yadav had said on Thursday that it was wrong to give capital punishment to rapists involved in the gang rape of two persons in Mumbai in August and September of last year, adding that boys make mistakes at times.
Speaking at a rally here, Yadav questioned the need for a court of the land to hand down capital punishment to the three men involved in the two crimes.
"We will bring changes in the law when we come to power," Yadav said.
