New Delhi: Amid the blame-game between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over delay in hanging of 2012 gangrape and murder convicts, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi has made an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking execution of convicts on 22 January, reminding him of his party's 2014 election slogans such as "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save daughter, educate daughter) and Bahut hua naari par vaar, Ab ki baar Modi Sarkaar” (Enough with atrocities on women, it’s time to vote for a Modi government.)


While speaking to news agency ANI, Asha Devi slammed both BJP and AAP for blaming each other for delay in hanging of four convicts - Mukesh Singh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25).

"Till now, I never talked about politics, but now I want to say that those people who held protests on streets in 2012, today the same people are only playing with my daughter's death for political gains," Nirbhaya's mother said with teared eyes.

"It has been 7 years and we didn't get justice. The government can't see our pain. Both parties are playing politics on the girl's death. I think the hanging is deliberately been postponed," Asha Devi said when asked about the war of words between BJP and AAP in the case.

On Thursday, BJP alleged that the AAP government is responsible for the delay in the hanging of Nirbhaya convicts. Later, Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia hit back at BJP and said 'give us Delhi Police and law-and-order responsibility for two days and we will hang Nirbhaya convicts'.

Commenting on Sisodia's remark, a visibly agitated Asha Devi said: "It would be good if Sisodia had said 'give me Delhi Police, I will protect girls'."

Standing Counsel for Tihar Jail authorities Advocate Rahul Mehra has said that the execution of convicts in the 2012 gang-rape case will not take place on January 22. "It can only take place 14 days after the mercy plea is rejected as we are bound by the rule which says that a notice of 14 days must be provided to the convicts after the rejection of mercy plea," he added.

Denying the Delhi government's role in delaying the hanging of the Nirbhaya case convicts, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the victim's mother is being 'misguided' and accused BJP leader Prakash Javadekar of politicising the matter.

"We sent the mercy petition within hours, so the Delhi government has no role in delaying the hanging of the convicts," he said. "Why would our government try to delay, we want them hanged at the earliest. I think she is being misguided. The Delhi government barely has any role in the whole process," Kejriwal added.

Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind, earlier in the day, rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the four men facing the gallows in the case. After President's rejection, Tihar jail authorities have reportedly sought before a Delhi court issuance of fresh death warrants against the four convicts.