No need for new law to punish those involved in ‘honour killing’, strengthen existing ones, says MP

Member of Parliament and former Minister Govind Karjol said that there was no need for the State government to promulgate a new law to punish those involved in ‘honour killing’. Instead existing laws should be strengthened, he said.

He was speaking to presspersons after visiting the residence of Vivekanand Doddamani, who lost his wife Manya in a case of alleged ‘honour killing’ at Inam Veerapur in Hubballi taluk of Dharwad district on Saturday. He was accompanied by the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and others.

Mr. Karjol said that many stringent laws were introduced to prevent atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. “If a new law is framed, it will be one in a hundred. It will not be of much use. Instead, the State government should think and act towards strengthening the existing laws,” he said.

He said that it was the responsibility of the government to protect the public and that it should take steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Concurring with him, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said that promulgating another law would be a waste of time.

Terming the incident a shame on civil society, he said that although society had progressed, people with a narrow mindset indulge in such heinous acts. In the land of Buddha, Basava, and Ambedkar, such incidents should not happen, and the government should take strict action against those involved, he said.

BJP leaders Lingaraj Patil, Mahendra Kautal, Vijay Nadajoshi, Anup Bijwad and others were present.