West Bengal's Aparajita Bill Sparks Political Firestorm

The West Bengal Assembly passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024'. Celebrated by the TMC and criticized by the BJP, the bill aims to ensure stringent punishment for crimes against women. The BJP contends the law is unconstitutional and purely for show.

The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024' on Monday, a move hailed as 'historic' by the West Bengal government but derided as 'dramabaazi' by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The TMC-led Mamata Banerjee government claims the bill ensures stringent punishment for rape and murder, while the BJP argues it is unconstitutional.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh emphasized the bill's significance, urging the Governor to provide assent. Concurrently, protests erupted in Kolkata, with junior doctors demanding the resignation of the city's police commissioner over a recent rape-murder case. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee backed the bill, asserting it would protect women's dignity and warned of its implications beyond Bengal.

BJP leaders, including Union MoS Sukanta Majumdar and MP Saumitra Khan, criticized the bill as a publicity stunt lacking constitutional validity. They pledged to challenge it in the Supreme Court. The debate intensified as the BJP called for stronger central involvement in state law enforcement. Other political figures weighed in, with some cautioning against hasty implementation that might backfire.

(With inputs from agencies.)