‘No interest in politics’: Dec 2012 gangrape victim’s mother on reports of joining Congress

Earlier in the day, former cricketer and Congress leader Kirti Azad took to Twitter and welcomed Devi to the party.

“ऐ मां तुझे सलाम”
आशा देवी जी आपका स्वागत है https://t.co/XovQXVsLp9

— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzaad) January 17, 2020

Dismissing the report, Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said that no such offer has been made, but if Devi wants to join, she is welcome to the party. “I saw a media report that Asha Devi (mother of 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim) will contest against Arvind Kejriwal on Congress ticket. There is nothing of that sort but she is welcome if she wants to join,” Chopra was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, hours after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of Mukesh Singh, one of the four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, a Delhi court issued fresh execution warrants in the case, postponing the date of the hanging of the four convicts to February 1. The four convicts will be executed at 6 am.

On the delay in the hanging, Devi blamed political parties for exploiting her daughter’s death for “political gains” and “delaying” the hanging of the four convicts. She urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill his 2014 campaign promise of women safety and ensure that the culprits are hanged to death on January 22, as earlier decided by a Delhi court.