Kolkata:
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – whose authorities is underneath hearth over the rape and homicide of a physician at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital – launched a fierce defence of her administration and town’s police drive Tuesday, pointing to equally horrific situations of assault on ladies in different states.
She referred to the rape of a 20-year-old Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras in 2020 and the rape and barbaric slaughter of a school scholar in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district in 2013, in addition to the rape of a kid final week at a government-run hospital in Rajasthan’s Jaipur.
“Within the Kamduni case (the North 24 Parganas rape) we demanded capital punishment… however the matter is pending within the Supreme Court docket (the place an enchantment has been filed after the Calcutta Excessive Court docket acquitted one accused and commuted the loss of life sentence of two others). Nobody talks about what occurred in Unnao (and) the sufferer of Hathras didn’t get justice…” the Chief Minister stated.
There are “abnormally excessive crime charges in opposition to ladies in states like UP and Gujarat… and there’s no justice there, however, in Bengal, ladies will get justice in courts,” she thundered within the Meeting, as she additionally demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Residence Minister Amit Shah, in addition to chief ministers of all states “unable to implement efficient legislations to safeguard ladies”.
The point out of Mr Modi and Mr Shah triggered loud protests from BJP lawmakers, to which Ms Banerjee requested, “What if I elevate slogans in opposition to PM and Residence Minister as you elevate in opposition to me…”
Ms Banerjee’s sharp feedback got here as her Trinamool tabled a brand new invoice, which is able to make rape against the law commensurate with homicide for which punishment might be loss of life or life in jail. She stated the “historic” new regulation – known as the Aparajita Invoice – will guarantee fast-tracked investigations and stricter punishments.
The identify of the brand new invoice has been seen by many as an homage to the younger girl who was raped and murdered in North 24 Parganas; in line with reviews her identify was Aparajita.
The regulation will “plug loopholes” within the centre’s legal guidelines, the Chief Minister stated, taking a swipe at its set of three new legal legal guidelines, which she stated had been handed with out consulting the Bengal authorities.
“Rape is a curse in opposition to humanity (and) social reforms are required to cease such crimes…” she stated, urging Governor CV Ananda Bose, who has additionally taken pot photographs on the Trinamool on the RG Kar Hospital case, to signal the Aparajita invoice directly.
And, in a pointed comment on the BJP – which has been relentless in concentrating on her however has supplied help, of a kind, on this laws – she known as on the opposition to additionally urge the Governor.
“We would like justice from the CBI… CBI ought to grasp the legal,” Ms Banerjee stated.
The invoice was handed shortly after the Chief Minister’s speech, however not earlier than the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, her former aide and now the Chief of the Opposition, criticised it as being tabled in haste.
He stated the BJP would help the invoice, but in addition demand accountability from Ms Banerjee.
“We’ll help… however why did you convey this in haste? We might have despatched it to a committee (for additional research). We would like punishment for the culprits. We won’t search division… however the state authorities must make sure the invoice is made efficient on the earliest,” Mr Adhikari stated.
The CBI is investigating this case pursuant to a route from the Calcutta Excessive Court docket, which ruffled political feathers by overruling the Chief Minister and summoning the central company.
This was a day after Ms Banerjee gave Kolkata Police per week’s time.
Since then Ms Banerjee has been demanding outcomes from the CBI, which made its first arrest late final evening; Dr Sandip Ghosh, the previous Principal of the RG Kar Hospital, was arrested after two weeks of questioning. Dr Ghosh, although, was arrested over allegations of monetary irregularities.
The CBI additionally arrested three others, together with a safety guard. However the one arrest, to this point, linked to the rape and homicide has been by Kolkata Police, who arrested a civilian volunteer, Sanjoy Roy.
