Fact Check: Brinda Karat says CPI(M) supports rapists? No, here’s the truth
A post claiming to quote Brinda Karat saying CPI(M) stands by rapists has gone viral
By K Sherly Sharon Published on 17 Dec 2024 1:17 PM GMT
Claim: Brinda Karat says that CPI(M) stands with rapists and is against the death penalty for the offenders.
Fact: The claim is false. Brinda Karat did not make any comments in support of rapists.
Hyderabad: A post claiming to quote Brinda Karat, former Member of Parliament and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, saying ‘We stand by rapists’ and ‘CPI(M) is against the death penalty to rapists’ is circulating on social media.
An image is being shared on Facebook with the title ‘We stand by the rapists’ with an image of Brinda Karat. The image quotes Brinda saying, “Imposing capital punishment on rapists is against our party’s principles. It is against the principles of natural justice to impose the death penalty on rapists. Rapists are also human beings, and they too have the right to live. The Death for Rapists Act brought by the Modi government is to deny the right to life of rapists!” (Archive) (Translated from Telugu)
Similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive 1) (Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. There is no public record of Brinda Karat speaking in support of rapists. She has also rubbished the claim while speaking to NewsMeter.
Using keyword searches, we found a report dated April 22, 2018, by Firstpost titled, “CPM in-principle against death penalty, says Brinda Karat, claims real issue is BJP ‘defending the rapists’.”
The report stated, “Her comment came on a day the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years, amid a nation-wide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua and Surat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao.”
We also found an X post by ANI published on April 21, 2018, about Brinda Karat’s statements on a POCSO Act Amendment ordinance. The POCSO Act was proposed to be amended to increase the scope of punishment from life imprisonment to death penalty.
The post read: “In principle, CPM is against death penalty. The death penalty is already there in rarest of rare cases. The actual issue is that some members of govt are supporting rapists. There should be a penalty against ‘rapist rakhsaks’: Brinda Karat, CPM on the ordinance to amend POCSO Act.” (Archive)
ANI further added, “To divert the issue the govt is trying to bring this in. I am afraid as this has very little credibility. We want the certainty of punishment. This issue is not addressing the issue which is agitating the minds of Indians: Brinda Karat, CPM on the ordinance to amend POCSO Act”
In a report by Business Standard, published on April 22, 2018, Karat was quoted saying, “The actual problem is not that there is no death penalty for child rape. The actual issue here is those in government are defending the rapists.”
We found a Facebook video shared by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on April 21, 2018, which showed Brinda Karat addressing the media. At the 17:47-minute mark, Karat responded to a question by a member of the media regarding the ‘Death for Rape’ POCSO Act Amendment ordinance.
In the video, Karat explained the party’s stand on the death penalty, but she does not make any remarks stating that the party will support rapists. We also couldn’t find any credible news publication publishing the alleged quote by Karat where she says that she supports rapists.
NewsMeter contacted Karat who rubbished the viral claim that she and her party have shown solidarity with rapists.
Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the claim is false.
