KOLKATA: A country dealing with the “horrifying” statistic of almost 90 rapes a day needs special fast-track courts with a mandate to wrap up trials within 15 days, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said Thursday in an official letter to PM Narendra Modi.
“This (recurrent cases of sexual violence) shakes the confidence and conscience of society and the nation.It is the bounden duty for all of us to put an end to it so that the women feel safe and secure,” wrote Mamata, whose state in in the throes of unrest over the Aug 9 rape-murder of a junior doctor.
“Such a serious and sensitive issues need to be addressed in a comprehensive manner through stringent central legislation, prescribing exemplary punishment against the persons involved in such dastardly crimes,” she said. The CM posted a copy of the letter on her official X handle.
Her nephew and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee cited “four rapes every hour and one every 15 minutes” to make a case for stricter anti-rape bill and “trials and convictions within 50 days”.
“Over the past 10 days, while the nation has been protesting against the RG Kar Medical College incident and demanding justice, 900 rapes have occurred across different parts of India – during the very time when people were on the streets protesting against the horrible crime. Sadly, a lasting solution remains largely undiscussed,” he wrote on X.
The Diamond Harbour MP also urged state govts to push the Centre for a comprehensive anti-rape law. “Anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective. Wake up India!” he posted.
On Aug 10, Abhishek had urged the BJP-led govt at the Centre to think beyond politics and bring “a bill to provide strictest punishment to rapists within 7 days if circumstantial evidence is against them”.
“This (recurrent cases of sexual violence) shakes the confidence and conscience of society and the nation.It is the bounden duty for all of us to put an end to it so that the women feel safe and secure,” wrote Mamata, whose state in in the throes of unrest over the Aug 9 rape-murder of a junior doctor.
“Such a serious and sensitive issues need to be addressed in a comprehensive manner through stringent central legislation, prescribing exemplary punishment against the persons involved in such dastardly crimes,” she said. The CM posted a copy of the letter on her official X handle.
Her nephew and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee cited “four rapes every hour and one every 15 minutes” to make a case for stricter anti-rape bill and “trials and convictions within 50 days”.
“Over the past 10 days, while the nation has been protesting against the RG Kar Medical College incident and demanding justice, 900 rapes have occurred across different parts of India – during the very time when people were on the streets protesting against the horrible crime. Sadly, a lasting solution remains largely undiscussed,” he wrote on X.
The Diamond Harbour MP also urged state govts to push the Centre for a comprehensive anti-rape law. “Anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective. Wake up India!” he posted.
On Aug 10, Abhishek had urged the BJP-led govt at the Centre to think beyond politics and bring “a bill to provide strictest punishment to rapists within 7 days if circumstantial evidence is against them”.