“We will send this bill to the Governor. If he doesn’t pass, we will sit outside Raj Bhavan,” the Bengal Chief Minister said.

KOLKATA (TIP): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday,  August 28, 2024,  said that a session of State Assembly will be called next week and a bill would be passed to ensure capital punishment for those convicted of rape. The Trinamool Congress chairperson’s comments came amidst outgoing outrage and protests over rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Ms. Banerjee added that the bill would be sent to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. “Next week, we will call an Assembly session by requesting the Speaker and pass a bill to ensure capital punishment for rapists. We will send this bill to the Governor. If he doesn’t pass, we will sit outside Raj Bhavan. This bill must be passed and he cannot evade accountability this time,” Ms. Banerjee said. She was addressing an event on the foundation day of the student wing of Trinamool Congress.

The Chief Minister praised the efforts of the State police in confronting protesters who marched to the State Secretariat on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

“I salute the police for their role yesterday. They had given their blood but did not yield a dead body to the BJP conspiracy,” she said.

Amidst demands by Opposition parties demanding her resignation over the gruesome rape and murder, the Chief Minister targeted the Prime Minister and said those seeking her resignation should ask for Prime Minister’s resignation. “They don’t want the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over incidents in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. In Assam, the accused was killed in encounter,“ she added.

Referring to rape and murder of the doctor Ms. Banerjee said that her government wanted to give capital punishment within seven days to the accused with the case being tried in fast-track court. “Sixteen days have passed since CBI took over doctor’s rape-murder probe, where is justice,” she said

The Chief Minister urged agitating resident doctors to join work and said that her government does not want to lodge police complaint against them which will adversely affect their career.

Facing relentless attack over her government’s handling of the gruesome crime, the Trinamool chairperson called for change of her party’s slogan, “Badla noi Badal chai ( Want Change not Revenge)“. Ms. Banerjee said that she had earlier given slogan but now the workers can decide for themselves as to what they will do. “ At least you can hiss and those who are spreading canards against us,” she said. Reacting to Chief Minister’s remarks, State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said that the remarks point out that the Chief Minister was in fear.

Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also emphasized for stricter laws for rape and referred to alleged incidents of atrocities on women at Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh and said, “Those who are seeking the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, should ask for Yogi Adityanath’s resignation,” he said. Mr. Banerjee said that Trinamool Congress will take to the streets if the Centre does not enact a new law to ensure a time-bound trial and sentencing of the accused found guilty of rape charges.

“If the central government does not enact this law, I will move a private member’s bill for the new law,” he said.

(With inputs from The Hindu)