Govt open to suggestions on anti-rape ordinance, says Tewari

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today said that the government was open to suggestions on the ordinance amending anti-rape laws. “The ordinance is an attempt to address those issues which are important. When the bill comes in parliament, there will be a debate and suggestions will come up. Government is open to all suggestions,” Manish Tewari said, while interacting with women journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC). [caption id=“attachment_625689” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Manish Tewari. PTI[/caption] An ordinance has been brought by the government based on the suggestions of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee, formed after the brutal rape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi. The woman succumbed to her injuries in Singapore on 29 December. An ordinance is a law made by government while parliament is not in session. It has to be approved by the parliament within six months, or it lapses. A bill to amend anti-rape laws is scheduled to be brought before parliament in the budget session, set to begin on 21 February. IANS