Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike over the recent incidents of crimes against women, on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a law to punish rapists immediately.

“Today, lives of hundreds of our daughters and sisters are being ravaged every day. I myself am on an indefinite hunger strike demanding a fixed framework for punishments to rapists,” he letter read.

As Maliwal entered the 12th day of the indefinite strike, she said: “I wrote to you on the first day, seeking immediate action. I am deeply saddened to note that despite this alarming situation and demands from across the country, there has been hardly any response from you to these appeals.”

The DCW chief further questioned why the Centre cannot show the same urgency and concern as the Andhra Pradesh government, which passed the historic and revolutionary Disha Bill which mandates disposal of cases of atrocities against women within 21 days and handing out death penalty to the convicts.

She fervently appealed to the PM to immediately enact the Disha Bill for the entire country.

The proposed new law has been named the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019 as a tribute to the veterinary doctor who was raped and murdered recently in neighbouring Telangana.

The introduction of the landmark Disha Bill comes days after a 27-year-old woman veterinary doctor was on November 27 gangraped and murdered near the Tondupally toll plaza in Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad and her body dumped and burnt 25 km away at the Chatanpally Bridge in the Ranga Reddy district, sending shockwaves across the nation.

In another shocking incident, a rape survivor in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh died after she was set ablaze by five men, some of whom are accused in the case.

Following the appalling reports, Swati Maliwal sat on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on December 3 and also wrote to PM Modi demanding that rapists be hanged within six months of their conviction.

“My demand to the Prime Minister is that we want capital punishment for the rapists of minor and major victims. The accused in the Hyderabad case must be hanged. Last year, I sat on protest and within 10 days, the government made a law that the rapists of minors will get capital punishment within six months, but this did not happen,” Maliwal said at Jantar Mantar.

“Now, I want the Prime Minister to implement the law. I am demanding strict and swift punishment. We need to enhance the infrastructure for a better implementation of the law. In Delhi, there is a shortage of 66,000 police officers and 45 fast track courts,” the DCW chief had said.