“Will pass a bill…” Mamata Banerjee bats for anti rape law ensuring capital punishment for rapists

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday has announced that her government will move a bill in the state assembly ensuring capital punishment for rapists. This came at the backdrop of the barbaric rape and murder of the 31-year-old medical student at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (MCH) on August 9.

“I will call for a special assembly session next week through the speaker. We will bring a law to ensure capital punishment for rapists. The bill will be sent to the Governor for assent and if he doesn’t sign then women will go and sit on dharna at Raj Bhavan”, said Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata during the foundation day ceremony of Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad.

Banerjee lashed out at the protesters who had taken out a march for the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ on Tuesday after the protest demonstrations witnessed violence leaving at least 15 police officers grievously injured. She accused BJP of trying to foment trouble using ‘students rally’ as a front to destabilise the government. “There has happened rapes in different parts of the country, the highest in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. But they won’t ask for resignation of their chief ministers. Like vultures BJP is playing politics over this unfortunate incident”, she added. The TMC Supremo warned that if BJP had planned to create unrest like what happened in Bangladesh, then the consequences of the same will reach New Delhi, to the corridors of the Prime Minister. “You have been funding people to create trouble. We will end it soon. They wanted to create Bangladesh. I urge the PM to stop his people from playing with fire, or else it will reach Delhi too”, she warned.

The RG Kar incident has shocked the entire country, junior doctors of RG Kar and other government hospitals in Kolkata have on protests demanding better safety and security for doctors. The demand for justice has grown louder with each passing day. After the intervention of the Supreme Court, doctors in other parts of the country have resumed their services but not in RG Kar MCH. The Chief Minister appealed to the protesting doctors to resume work, reminding them of the poorer section of the society that depends on them for medical assistance.

“I have remained sympathetic towards the cause of the doctors from the very beginning since they were seeking justice for their colleague. We did not take any action against them although so many days have passed since the incident. We understand your pain. But please come back to work now since patients are suffering,” she appealed.

Reiterating her demand for fast-track execution of sexual harassment, she had hit out at CBI highlighting that it has been over two weeks since the central agency had taken over the case and there hasn’t been any further arrest since the first of the prime accused Sanjoy Rai, done by Kolkata Police within 24 hours of the crime. “Those who commit such crime, they have no right to life. Hang them as soon as possible”, she concluded.