The West Bengal Assembly has unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill’, which aims to impose the death penalty for those convicted of rape and murder, or for rapists who leave victims in a vegetative state.
The House approved the bill through a voice vote on Tuesday, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose not to challenge it with a division vote, as they had previously indicated.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighted the bill’s significance during the debate, asserting that it addresses a pressing need for justice and reflects the government’s commitment to protecting women.
She expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister had not taken similar measures, suggesting he should resign alongside the Union Home Minister for their inaction.
The introduction of the bill follows nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which has sparked protests across the country.
Banerjee urged the Governor to act swiftly and expedite the bill to the President for final approval.
She stated, “Thereafter enforcing and making that effective will be our responsibility. So I am requesting the leader of the opposition in the House to tell the Governor to clear the Bill at the earliest.”
The bill seeks amendments to the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, enhancing penalties for heinous crimes against women and children.
During her address, the Chief Minister also criticized BJP lawmakers for their silence on similar incidents in BJP-governed states, pointing to the Unnao rape case as an example of hypocrisy.
“When you speak of an event in West Bengal, will you not speak about what happened at Unnao? It is a matter of shame that the accused legislator in the matter was garlanded,” she further stated.
With the bill now passed, it awaits the Governor’s approval before proceeding to the President for necessary assent, a step deemed crucial for its enforcement.
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