“Bill ensures protection of women, if Bengal is disgraced it will have spillover effect”: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 3 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her support for West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment Bill 2024 and said that the bill is being brought to secure the dignity of women and if Bengal is abused, it will have a ripple effect.

CM Mamata Banerjee said, “I had written two letters to the Prime Minister, but I did not get any reply from him, rather I got a reply from the Minister of Women and Child Development, but I also replied to her reply and informed the Prime Minister. When the Code of Justice Bill was passed in a hurry before the elections, I had said that it should not be passed in a hurry, the states were not consulted in this. I had opposed it many times as no advice was taken from the states in this regard, it should have been passed after discussing with the Rajya Sabha, the opposition, and all the parties, but this was not done. That is why today we are bringing this (bill) to secure protection for women. If Bengal is ill-treated, then it will have spillover effect.”

She said that the way she was being humiliated, if TMC spoke about the PM and Union Health Minister, then would it be appropriate.

“I wanted this law to be passed by the centre but we are trying to fill the voids. The rapists of Bilkis were garlanded. CPM and BJP are competing today. In CPM’s rule there was no women police station,” she added.

She further said that Kolkata is safe compared to other cities.

She said, “I would like to thank all my brothers and sisters and say that every day I will fight to protect the rights of girls…It is a matter of repeating history and fighting to protect girls’ rights…43 years ago on this day in 1981, the United Nations formed a committee for the ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women’ to protect the rights of women. I would like to extend greetings to all protesting for justice to the victim doctor. To the family, I would like to express my grief. We are calling for stringent punishment for the rapists. I expect everyone in the civilised society will support the bill unanimously. The society where women are not safe can never progress.”

She further said that the junior doctor had passed away on August 9 and the Police had arrested the key accused in 12 hours.

“On the 12th, I visited the family of the victim. I had told the family that today is Monday, give me time till Sunday. If we cannot arrest all the accused, then the case would be transferred to CBI, and they agreed. Police took 12 hours to arrest the main accused. A cybercrime team was formed. We had also directed for fast track court to give the verdict but the case was transferred to CBI. Now we want justice from CBI. We want capital punishment since the beginning.,” she added.

The West Bengal Chief Minister further said that in West Bengal there are 88 fast track courts and 52 designated courts for women. Over 3 lakh cases have been registered in these courts and out of that 3 lakh 11 thousand 489 cases have been disposed. 7,000 cases are pending in fast track courts.

“Opposition says there is rape case in trains but it is the job of RPF to protect inside the trains. Opposition is silent on Unnao and Hatras case. This is happening in every state, but I am not glorifying it. Today in the country, 90 rape cases are happening every day. In rape cases, only 2.56 percent criminals have been finally convicted,” she added.

Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee called on the centre to take decisive action on the anti-rape law.

“Given the harrowing statistic of a rape every 15 minutes, the demand for a comprehensive time bound anti-rape law is more pressing than ever. Bengal is leading the charge with its Anti rape bill. The Union must now take decisive action – whether by ordinance or BNSS amendment in the upcoming parliament session to ensure that justice is both swift and severe, with trial and conviction concluded in 50 DAYS,” the TMC MP said in a post on X.