Ensure unfettered freedom for women: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's I-Day message

New Delhi: Justice has to be certain and swift in order to tackle crime against women, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday, deploring "tendencies to shield" sons of politicians involved in such cases.

Kejriwal said governments should ensure freedom for women instead of imposing restrictions on them. A politician's son, guilty of such crimes, should be awarded double the punishment as stipulated in statute books, he said.

The comments, made by Kejriwal in a televised Independence Day speech, came against the backdrop of the Chandigarh stalking case involving the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala.

"The most important thing in such cases is deterrence. There should be certainty and swiftness when it comes to punishment. Now when a politician's son commits any such crime, the entire system comes together to shield him," he said.

In his 14-minute-long address, Kejriwal said many countries, which got independence after India, have raced ahead in terms of development as they invested more in education.

"We have been in government for the last two years. I derive the greatest satisfaction from our work in the education sector. We are in a way bringing revolution in the education sector. Poverty can be eliminated if we sincerely educate a generation," he said.