Bengal anti-rape bill passed amid ‘Mamata Banerjee vs BJP’ fireworks in assembly

The West Bengal assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed an anti-rape ‘Aparajita’ bill brought in by the Mamata Banerjee government.

With this, Bengal became the first state to bring in amendments to central laws dealing with offences of rape, gang-rape, and sexual crimes against children.

The bill will now be sent to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and then to President Droupadi Murmu for their assent.

Calling it ‘historic’ and ‘model’, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the bill was a tribute to the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the government-run RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital last month.

The bill, ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024, provides for the death penalty for rape and sexual offences for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim’s death or leave her in a vegetative state.

In addition, it stipulates a life sentence without parole for those convicted of rape.

While speaking on the merits of the bill, Mamata Banerjee asked Leader of Opposition (LoP), Suvendu Adhikari, to urge state Governor CV Ananda Bose to grant his assent to the bill.

“Through this bill, we have tried to plug the loopholes that exist in the central legislation. Rape is a curse against humanity, social reforms are required to stop such crimes,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

“The opposition should ask the governor to sign the Bill, it is our responsibility to enact it after that. We want justice from CBI, death by hanging of the guilty,” she added.

“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.

Meanwhile, the BJP welcomed the bill, but added that the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) also has all the stringent provisions to deal with crime against women and children. Party leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, also moved a motion seeking as many as seven amendments to the bill.

“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 two-day special session of the assembly was summoned on Monday amid the ongoing protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata in August this year.