Senior Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising has stirred a controversy by advising Asha Devi, mother of rape victim Nirbhaya, to "follow Sonia Gandhi's example and forgive convicts". Sonia, it may be noted, has "forgiven" the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi. Nirbhaya's rapists are scheduled to be hanged on February 1.

"Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? Whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims. I can't believe how Indira even dared to suggest such this. I met her many times over the years in the Supreme Court. Not once she asked for my wellbeing and today, she is speaking for convicts. Such people earn their livelihood by supporting rapists. Hence rape incidents don't stop," Asha Devi said.

BJP's national spokesperson Amit Malaviya tried to drag the Congress party and the AAP too into the issue. "Indira Jaising, who advised Nirbhaya’s mother to ‘forgive’ the convicts, was ASG in the UPA government. After testing waters with Asha Devi’s candidature for Delhi, only to hastily retract, Congress and AAP are doing everything to deny justice to Nirbhaya and her parents. Shame!" he tweeted out.