New Delhi: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently questioned the timing of West Bengal's introduction of a new anti-rape bill, suggesting it might be an attempt to divert public attention from the RG Kar Medical College incident. Chouhan, who noted Madhya Pradesh's early adoption of similar legislation in 2017, accused the Mamata Banerjee government of insensitivity while addressing the media on Tuesday. In December 2017, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to enact a law stipulating that individuals convicted of raping girls aged 12 or younger could face the death penalty by hanging. "Mamata Banerjee has become insensitive. Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the country to implement the law in 2017 and has given the death penalty to those who commit rape. So far, 42 people have been given the death sentence. This bill has been brought to divert attention from the heinous crime at RG Kar Medical College," Chouhan remarked. "Why didn't the Mamata government introduce the bill earlier? Those responsible for the RG Kar incident should get the death sentence," he added. Chouhan further questioned whether individuals like Sheikh Shahjahan, who has allegedly been accused of sexual harassment by women in Sandeshkhali, will also face action. "Will people like Sheikh Shahjahan also get the death penalty under this bill?" he asked. The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024' on Tuesday. This development follows the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor last month at the RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital on August 9. Earlier today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her support for the West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment Bill 2024, stating that the bill is intended to secure the dignity of women and warning that if Bengal is mistreated, it will have a ripple effect. CM Mamata Banerjee said, "I had written two letters to the Prime Minister, but I did not receive any reply from him; instead, I got a response from the Minister of Women and Child Development. I replied to her 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 haste; the states were not consulted. I had opposed it many times as no advice was taken from the states in this regard. It should have been passed after discussions with the Rajya Sabha, the opposition, and all parties, but this was not done. That is why today we are bringing this bill to secure protection for women. If Bengal is mistreated, it will have a spillover effect."
