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The West Bengal legislature unanimously passed an anti-rape bill with the opposition's full support. However, this was not without protests, as the BJP objected to their proposed amendments being rejected. The opposition leader criticized the government's bill as a "cosmetic" measure to divert attention from a recent rape and murder case. The bill, titled the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024', calls for capital punishment for rapists whose actions result in the victim's death or a vegetative state. It also mandates life imprisonment without parole for those convicted of rape. The legislation aims to enhance safeguards for women and children by revising and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offenses. The legislature convened a special two-day session in response to the outrage over the woman doctor's death.
The government introduced a new anti-rape law with strict provisions in the state legislative assembly. The chief minister called it a "historic and model" bill, expressing happiness that it was presented on September 3, the same day the UN formed a women's discrimination committee in 1981. She thanked everyone for their support and stated that the bill is aimed at protecting women, which she said moved her emotionally. The chief minister also criticized the opposition, challenging them to ask the governor to approve the bill if they want quick implementation and results.
Banerjee discussed various rape incidents that occurred in Unnao, Hathras, and Bulandshahr. She noted that you did not comment on the Unnao case. Banerjee also mentioned that the victims in the Hathras incident did not receive justice in 2020. Additionally, she stated that a nine-year-old child was raped in Uttar Pradesh, and a six-year-old was assaulted in Bulandshahr. The chief minister addressed the BJP's allegations about the state government's failure to use Nirbhaya funds. She stated that West Bengal ranks third in the number of fast-track courts in India. The state has 88 such courts, with 52 specifically dedicated to cases involving women. The chief minister claimed that 3.92 lakh cases are currently ongoing, while 3.11 lakh cases have been resolved. She accused the opposition of spreading misinformation and false news, urging everyone to unite over the new anti-rape legislation. The chief minister highlighted the key aspects of the law, including fast investigation, conviction, and severe punishment. For rape and gang rape, the law prescribes 10 to 20 years in prison, and in some cases, life imprisonment. The chief minister said that they have made life imprisonment a possibility, and if necessary, the death penalty. She also mentioned the provision for compensation for victims.
The proposed legislation aims to address the concerns of women doctors, such as the need for better CCTV coverage, suitable restrooms, and proper lighting in medical facilities, as well as the reduction of long duty hours. While the ruling party introduced the bill, the opposition expressed support for it but also demanded prompt implementation and tangible results. They emphasized the importance of ensuring that all necessary procedures were followed and that the law would be swiftly put into practice to address the public's demand for justice. Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay pointed out that the doctors staged a demonstration near the Kolkata Police Headquarters in Lalbazar demanding the resignation of senior police officer Vineet Kumar Goyal. He asked: “Doctors sit on the streets all night. The Calcutta party should resign, else they could have come and listened to their demands. Why so much ego?”.
Adhikari also said that there are enough provisions on death penalty and the BNS, which was replaced by the Indian Penal Code a few months ago, has already taken everything into account. He said the anti-rape law was nothing but a 'Sarkar Bachao' measure and asked why the state government was not focusing on preventing such crimes through proper utilization of Nirbhaya funds. He said the opposition supported the bill but had listed seven amendments for the government to consider. West Bengal Law Minister Maulvi Ghatak on Tuesday (September 3) introduced the Aparahita Women and Children (West Bengal Penal Code and Amendments) Bill, 2024, following which the BJP addressed a special session of the state Assembly for the first time.
A two-day special session of Parliament has been called in response to the rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College Hospital last month. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shikha Chatterjee began her address to the gathering by mentioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BNS). He said there were a large number of rape cases in the state but no action was taken. He mentioned the torture of Adivasi women in Kutch Behar and the rape of women in Rajganj. Chatterjee also spoke about the RG Kar case where authorities tried to mislead the victim's parents. “You can apply parts of BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita). His body was not properly shown to his parents and was cremated,” he said. After him, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Swandev Chattopadhyay said, "While the BNS does not mention any deadlines," the bill says. He said: Based on the list of concurrent presentations, the government has the right to introduce this bill. “They (BJP) are not against it. It’s a good thing,” he added.
