West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Wednesday that her government will introduce legislation in the state Assembly seeking capital punishment for those convicted of rape and murder.
The announcement comes in the wake of widespread outrage following the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
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Speaking at an event commemorating the foundation day of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), Banerjee stated, “We will move a Bill in the state Assembly within 10 days seeking capital punishment for culprits in rape and murder cases. We will send it to the Governor, and if he doesn’t pass the Bill, we will sit on indefinite protest outside the Raj Bhavan.”
The Chief Minister’s comments mirror sentiments expressed earlier by Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) handling of the RG Kar case.
The Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI 14 days ago, but Mamata Banerjee expressed frustration over the lack of visible progress.
“The progress of the investigation has been ruined after the case was handed over to the CBI,” she remarked.
Banerjee also took the opportunity to praise the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police for their conduct during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest march on Tuesday.
She praised the police for maintaining restraint despite attacks and criticized the BJP for attempting to exploit the situation for political gain.
Addressing the ongoing strike by junior doctors in state-run hospitals, the Chief Minister urged them to return to work, emphasizing the need to prioritize patient care.
“This tragic incident should not deter our commitment to serving those who rely on our healthcare system,” she added.
Banerjee called the recent rape and murder a deeply unfortunate event and stressed the importance of swift and error-free follow-up actions.
She emphasized her government’s commitment to delivering justice by swiftly completing the investigation and allowing the trial to proceed on a fast-track basis.
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