'We're ashamed', PM Modi finally acknowledges rape, murder of Muslim minor

Months after the brutal rape and murder of minor Asifa Bano from the nomadic Bakarwal community in the Kathua district of occupied-Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendar Modi finally broke silence on the topic, reported The Hindu.

"I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice," he said at an event in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday broke his silence on the cases of gang rape and murder in Kathua in Jammu and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh to state that justice will be done and "not a single criminal will be spared in these cases."

"I want to assure the country that justice will be done and fully. Our daughters will get justice. It is an internal failure of our society and not at all fitting for any society that claims to be civilised and we are ashamed of it. We must address this issue together as a society," he said.

Answering to apprehensions over the weakening of the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 - Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Act (SC/ST) following the Indian Supreme Court's ruling, Modi said that his government will not allow that to happen. "We are the government that strengthened this Act, increased the enlisted crimes against SC/STs that can be tried from a list of 22 to 47. Be assured we will not allow the Act to weaken in any way," he said.

In order to prevent misuse of the provisions of the SC/ST Act, the Court, on March 20, had ruled out automatic registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and immediate arrest in a complaint made under the Act.

The ruling Bharat Jantya Party (BJP) has been facing severe backlash on this issue with Dalit groups calling for nationwide protests in April with violence and loss of life and political parties holding candlelight vigils to protest the heinous incidents at Kathua and Unnao.

The PM broke silence on the subject after multiple celebrities and civil rights activities from the country had spoken on the matter. Indian atrocities in the occupied valley have increased significantly with numerous ceasefire violations since the start of 2018.