West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the implementation of stringent central legislation to address incidents of rape and to ensure exemplary punishment for those found guilty. This marks her second communication to the Prime Minister on this critical issue.
In her latest letter, Banerjee expressed her disappointment over the lack of response from PM Modi to her previous letter, dated August 22. “No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue,” she wrote, emphasizing the importance of the matter.
While she acknowledged receiving a response from Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, Banerjee criticized it for not adequately addressing the seriousness of the issue. “I believe the gravity of the subject and its relevance to society has not been sufficiently recognized in the reply,” she stated.
The Chief Minister also outlined the measures her government has taken to combat such crimes, including the establishment of additional fast-track special courts and POCSO courts, appointing retired judicial officers as presiding officers of these courts, and introducing helpline numbers, among other initiatives.
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Banerjee concluded her letter by reiterating her call for stringent central legislation to ensure swift and severe punishment for crimes like rape and rape-related murders, advocating for a speedy trial process.
In her previous letter, she had urged the Prime Minister to initiate a process that would allow trials in cases of rape and rape-related murders to be completed within 15 days. “It is our bounden duty to end such heinous crimes so that women feel safe and secure. Such serious and sensitive issues need comprehensive addressing through strict central legislation, prescribing exemplary punishment for those involved in such atrocious acts,” Banerjee wrote in her August 22 letter to the Prime Minister.
