From visitor's gallery, Nirbhaya's parents watch Rajya Sabha debate Juvenile Justice Bill

Bill seeks to treat juveniles between 16 to 18 years as adults for crimes like rape.

New Delhi

: Parents of the December 2012 gangrape victim on Tuesday keenly watched deliberations in Rajya Sabha as Women and Child and Development Minister Maneka Gandhi piloted the Juvenile Justice Bill.

The parents of the victim, known as Nirbhaya, watched the proceedings from the visitor's gallery. Mahila Congress leader Shobha Oza and former chief of Delhi Commission for Women Barkha Singh were seen accompanying them in the gallery.

While the TMC extended its full support to the bill during the debate, other parties like JD(U) remained divided over the issue. TMC MP Derek O' Brien urged his fellow parliamentarians to \"not wait for the ideal bill\" and pass it in its current form.

\"I urge Parliament to pass a bill which all citizens want. God forbid if it was my daughter, then would I have hired the best lawyers Or taken out the gun and shot the culprits. I say this with full responsibility, I am inclined to say that I would have taken out a gun and shot the culprits,\" Brien said.

“There should be a separate enclosure for juvenile criminals in jail, can't keep them with hardened criminals,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the House.

The bill seeks to treat juveniles between 16 to 18 years as adults for committing heinous crimes such as rape – intensifying both inside and outside Parliament, the Rajya Sabha on Monday decided to take up the legislation for discussion on Tuesday.

Nirbhaya's parents have been protesting the release of the juvenile gangrape convict on Sunday.

After several adjournments, Rajya Sabha resumed at 2 PM to take up the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015.