“Why didn’t Mamata government introduce it earlier?” Shivraj Singh on the introduction of an anti-rape law in West Bengal

New Delhi [India]September 3 (ANI): Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently questioned the timing of the introduction of a new anti-rape law in West Bengal, suggesting that it could be an attempt to divert public attention from the RG Kar Medical College incident.

Chouhan, who pointed out that Madhya Pradesh had already passed similar laws in 2017, accused the Mamata Banerjee government of insensitivity in a speech to the media on Tuesday.

In December 2017, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to pass a law requiring those convicted of raping girls aged 12 or younger to face the death penalty by hanging.

“Mamata Banerjee has become insensitive. Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the country to implement the law in 2017 and impose death penalty for rape. So far, 42 people have been sentenced to death. This bill has been brought to divert attention from the heinous crime at RG Kar Medical College,” Chouhan noted.

“Why did the Mamata government not introduce the bill earlier? Those responsible for the RG Kar incident should be sentenced to death,” he added.

Chouhan also questioned whether charges would be brought against people like Sheikh Shahjahan, who was allegedly sexually harassed by women in Sandeshkhali.

“Will people like Sheikh Shahjahan also be given the death penalty under this law?” he asked.

The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the “Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024” on Tuesday.

This development follows the tragic rape and murder of a junior doctor on August 9 at RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed her support for the West Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Bill. She said the bill aims to protect the dignity of women and warned that mistreating Bengal will have far-reaching consequences.

CM Mamata Banerjee said, “I wrote two letters to the Prime Minister but did not get any response from him. Instead, I got a reply from the Minister for Women and Child Development. I replied to her and informed the Prime Minister. When the Judiciary Code Bill was passed in a hurry before the elections, I said that it should not be passed in a hurry; the states were not consulted. I was often against it as the states had not taken advice on this. It should have been passed after discussions with the Rajya Sabha, the opposition and all parties, but that did not happen. So today we are bringing this bill to ensure protection of women. If Bengal is mistreated, it will have a spillover effect.” (ANI)