Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has yet again written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a stringent law with provisions of exemplary punishment for rape.
This is her second letter barely a week after she wrote to the PM on August 22 seeking an urgent need for a Central legislation on incidents of rape and exemplary punishment to perpetrators of such crimes.
Referring to her earlier letter, Banerjee wrote, "No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue. However, a reply has been received from the Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of India, which barely attends the gravity of the issue raised in my letter. I am of the thought that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply."
Listing out the steps her government has taken regarding setting up of Fast Track Special Courts to deal with cases related to heinous crimes, the CM has said, "I would reiterate and earnestly request to kindly consider a stringent Central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes of rape/rape and murder with mandatory provision for disposal of cases in a specific time-frame by the trial authorities."
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had also advocated for a stringent law against the heinous crime with death penalty. While addressing rally on the occasion of the foundation day of the party's students wing, Abhishek had said, he intends to introduce a private member’s bill in the next session of the Parliament with stricter punishment for perpetrators of rape.
“We will demonstrate in Delhi and press for a stricter law. If that does not wake them up, I will introduce a private member’s bill in the coming session as a Lok Sabha MP and bring in stricter punishment like death penalty for those convicted for committing rape,” he had said.
Banerjee's latest missive comes in the wake of ongoing widespread protests across West Bengal, particularly in Kolkata, demanding justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month.
The BJP has demanded the resignation of the chief minister and had also called for 12-hour general strike on August 28.
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