Controversy Surrounds Anti-Rape Bill in West Bengal Assembly

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of unilaterally pushing an anti-rape Bill in the West Bengal Assembly. The Bill, proposing capital punishment for severe rape cases, is set to be tabled and debated in a special session. Critics claim insufficient debate time as a tactic to avoid thorough discussion.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday claimed that all steps on tabling an anti-rape Bill in the West Bengal Assembly were taken unilaterally by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and not by the Speaker as is the practice.

The comment of the opposition leader came a day before the Bill, proposing capital punishment for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim's death or cause her to become vegetative, is scheduled to be tabled and passed in a special session of the assembly. The draft bill also stated that persons convicted of rape and gang rape would receive a sentence lasting for the rest of the natural lives of the convicts.

Asserting that he is always in favour of exemplary punishment for rapist-murderers, Adhikari regretted that the BJP was allotted only one hour during the two-hour debate for the bill in the assembly on September 3.

"As per standard procedures and assembly business rules, the honourable Speaker usually takes the decision (to call a special session) and the secretariat issues the required note. ''However, in West Bengal, only one supreme person takes any important decision and other functionaries follow it up going by her words," the senior BJP leader told reporters.

He said only two hours were allotted for the debate on such an issue, and of that, the BJP was given one hour. This shows that the ruling party does not want a threadbare discussion on the issue and wants to impose its decision, he added.

Adhikari said, "I will not speak for more than 10-15 minutes and our women MLAs will share their views for the rest 45 minutes." Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay earlier said two hours would be given for a debate on the bill – devoting one hour for the ruling party and the opposition each.

A two-day special session of the Assembly has been summoned since September 2 in the wake of the rape-murder of a woman medic at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

The Bill is scheduled to be tabled by Law Minister Moloy Ghatak.

Titled 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill, (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024,' the legislation aims to enhance protection for women and children by amending and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offences.

At the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) foundation day rally on August 28, Banerjee had said a two-day special session would be convened on September 2 and 3 for the purpose.

(With inputs from agencies.)