Mamata Banerjee (Photo: PTI)
The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita’ anti-rape bill introduced by the Mamata Banerjee-led state government. With this legislation, West Bengal has become the first state to amend central laws related to rape, gang rape, and sexual assault, according to a report by India Today.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hailed the bill as “historic” and “model”, dedicating it to the memory of a 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the government-run RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital last month.
Banerjee described the bill as a critical measure to address the gaps in central legislation and vowed to push for its swift implementation.
“This bill addresses crucial loopholes in the central laws. Rape is a grave violation of human dignity, and we need profound social reforms to combat such atrocities,” Banerjee said. She urged Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari to appeal to Governor CV Ananda Bose for the bill’s assent, emphasising the urgent need for justice.
Banerjee also criticised the high crime rates against women in other states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, stating that West Bengal’s approach provides a model for achieving justice.
She reiterated her call for stringent measures against perpetrators, including capital punishment, and voiced her concerns about the lack of consultation on the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) before its passage.
“Crime rates against women in states like UP, Gujarat are abnormally high. While tortured women in West Bengal are getting justice in court. West Bengal was not consulted before passing BNS, we wanted discussions on it after the new government formation,” Mamata Banerjee said.
BJP welcomes Aparajita Bill
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, welcomed the bill but also highlighted that the BNS contains similar stringent provisions for addressing crimes against women and children.
BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari proposed seven amendments to the bill and emphasised the need for immediate implementation.
“We want immediate implementation of this (Anti-rape) law, it is your (state government) responsibility. We want results, it is the government’s responsibility. We do not want any division, we fully support you, we will listen to the Chief Minister’s statement comfortably, she can say whatever she wants but you have to guarantee that this bill will be implemented immediately…,” Adhikari said.
A special two-day session of the Assembly was convened in response to ongoing protests following the tragic incident involving the trainee doctor. The assembly debate on the bill is anticipated to continue for approximately two hours, with BJP MLAs Sikha Chatterjee and Agnimitra Paul expected to contribute to the discussion.
First Published: Sep 03 2024 | 2:42 PM IST