The women activists, representing a number of organisations including Jagori, All India Progressive Women's Association and Partners for Law and Development, slammed the government for coming out with the ordinance when Parliament session is just three weeks away and urged the President not to sign the it.
"We are alarmed at the complete lack of transparency shown by the government.... We call upon the President not to sign such an ordinance," the group said.
Kavita Krishnan, secretary of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) termed the ordinance as "an absolute mockery" of Justice Verma panel's recommendations.
"We were alarmed to see the ordinance as it ignored many recommendations of that committee. The government has stealthily passed this ordinance without sharing it with the public and without actually debating and discussing it. All the recommendations than can actually strike at the heart of impunity have been dropped," she said.
