Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
West Midnapore (West Bengal), Oct 15 (IANS) In the wake of the recent gang rape case in Durgapur, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta on Wednesday demanded that the ‘Aparajita’ anti-rape bill should get the President’s assent to ensure the safety of women in the state.
Speaking to IANS, Riju Dutta said, “What happened in Durgapur is extremely unfortunate. I cannot comment on the investigation, but within 48 hours five accused have been arrested. Such quick action does not happen in BJP-ruled states. Such incidents happen frequently in Uttar Pradesh, yet hardly any action is taken. But this is West Bengal, where women are safe.”
She said, “As per the NCRB report, West Bengal is the safest state for women. Those who are politicizing this issue should desist from doing so. We need to create fear in the minds of those who commit such heinous crimes. The only way to ensure this is to pass the ‘Aparajita’ anti-rape bill, which proposes strict punishment for the accused. This bill should be passed for the safety of women.”
The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the Aparajita Women and Children (West Bengal Criminal Law Amendment) Bill, 2024 on September 3, 2024. However, the bill was sent to the President for assent and is still pending there.
On Monday, Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had also demanded approval of the pending bill.
He said, “We feel this (Durgapur gang rape) is a heinous crime. We want the culprit to be punished. We have passed the Aparajita Bill in the West Bengal Assembly, and then it has gone to Delhi, but the Central government has not allowed it. It is lying with the President. Whatever the government says, the President does. Despite our demand, it has not been passed. So the responsibility is on the Central government.”
A day after the crime, Trinamool had issued a statement saying that while a heinous crime like rape requires the harshest condemnation and strictest legislation, the central government has chosen delay rather than duty on the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill, noting that even though more than a year has passed since the law was passed, the central government has done nothing to turn the words into law.
–IANS
JK/VD