"Useless": Kolkata Rape Victim's Family Counsel On Bengal Anti-Rape Bill

CPI(M) MP and counsel for the RG Kar victim's family, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, on Wednesday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's move to introduce an anti-rape bill, Aparajita, calling it "absolutely useless" aimed at confronting the central government rather than genuinely addressing the issue.

Mr Bhattacharya also alleged that Mamata Banerjee's bill is a mere eyewash and an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the main issue.

"They have the legislative power to enact a law, and accordingly, they have brought a bill but this is absolutely useless. No agency can complete an investigation within a limited period and then go for trial and finish it in a certain time. These are all populistic jargon. It will ultimately fetch no benefit to anybody. This will give her another step forward to fight against the centre because, most likely, this bill will not be approved by the President. They will go on shouting against the centre again, that is the reason behind introducing this bill. Nothing else," Bikash Ranjan said.

"Cutting across lines and borders, people are completely frustrated and agitated against this administration. She has just made an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the main issue," he added.

The West Bengal assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024, that comes after the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Speaking in the assembly after tabling of the Bill 2024, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the bill is being brought to secure the dignity of women and that if Bengal is abused, it will have a ripple effect.

"I had written two letters to the Prime Minister, but I did not get any reply from him; rather, I got a reply from the Minister of Women and Child Development, but I also replied to her reply and informed the Prime Minister. When the Code of Justice Bill was passed in a hurry before the elections, I had said that it should not be passed in a hurry; the states were not consulted in this. I had opposed it many times as no advice was taken from the states in this regard, it should have been passed after discussing with the Rajya Sabha, the opposition, and all the parties, but this was not done," said Banerjee.

"That is why today we are bringing this bill to secure protection for women. If Bengal is ill-treated, then it will have a spillover effect," she added.

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