As West Bengal passed the anti-rape “Aparajita” bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the chief ministers of all states that have “failed to implement effective laws to protect women.”
The legislation, titled the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024,’ seeks to strengthen protections for women and children by revising and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offences. Addressing the state assembly after introducing the bill, Banerjee emphasized that the bill aims to ensure swift investigations, prompt justice, and harsher punishment for the guilty.
“Rape is a curse on humanity, and social reforms are necessary to prevent such crimes,” she said. Describing the passage of the Bill as “historic and a model for other states,” Banerjee stated that the proposed legislation aims to address the gaps in existing central laws.
When BJP MLAs chanted slogans calling for her resignation, she responded, “What if I were to raise slogans against the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for the same reasons?” She pointed out that states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have alarmingly high crime rates against women, while in West Bengal, women who have been tortured are receiving justice in the courts. Banerjee also criticized the central government for not consulting West Bengal before passing the BNS.
“We wanted to discuss this after the new government was formed at the Centre,” she said. Banerjee urged the Opposition to prompt the governor to sign the Bill without delay, asserting that its effective implementation would be the state government’s responsibility. Expressing her grief over the horrific rape and murder of the RG Kar Hospital medic, she called for justice from the CBI and the death penalty for the perpetrators. The Bill was eventually passed unanimously, despite some disorder in the House.
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government introduced the anti-rape Bill to divert attention from the public outrage and protests over the murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
During the discussion on the bill, the BJP leader stated, “We will fully support the new bill and will not call for a vote on it.” He accused the TMC government of failing to prevent incidents of rape and sexual abuse during its tenure and called for the immediate enactment of the bill by the state government following its passage.
