Protesters in the country’s capital, New Delhi, chanted slogans on Saturday and called on the government in the western state of Gujarat to reverse the decision. They also sang solidarity songs for the victim. Similar demonstrations were held in many other states. The 11 men, who were released with suspended sentences on August 15, when India celebrated 75 years of independence, were convicted in 2008 of rape, murder and unlawful assembly. The victim, now in her 40s, recently said the Gujarat state government’s decision had left her numb and shaken her faith in justice. The victim was pregnant when she was gang-raped during the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat, where more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in some of the worst religious riots India has experienced since independence from Britain in 1947. Seven members of the woman’s family, including her three-year-old daughter, were also killed in the violence. “The whole country should demand an answer directly from the prime minister of this country,” said Kavita Krishnan, a prominent activist. Officials in Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party holds power, said the convicts’ request for release was granted because they had served more than 14 years in prison. The men were eligible under a 1992 political pardon that was in effect at the time of their sentencing, officials said. A newer version of the policy adopted in 2014 by the federal government bars parole for those convicted of certain crimes, including rape and murder. The riots have long dogged Modi, who was Gujarat’s top elected official at the time, amid allegations that authorities allowed and even encouraged the bloodshed. Modi has repeatedly denied any role and the top court said it found no evidence to prosecute him. Asiya Qureshi, a young protester in New Delhi, said she joined the protests to seek justice for the victim. “Modi gave a speech on August 15 on the safety and protection of Indian women and the same day they released the rapists,” he said. “How am I safe in such a climate?”
