West Bengal Assembly passes Aparajita Bill unanimously

The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a new bill, the Aparajita Women & Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, even as the opposition continued their clamour for chief minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation.

Law minister Moloy Ghatak introduced the new Bill. "The new bill includes certain amendments and aims to expedite investigation, ensure fast justice delivery and enhanced punishment," Mamata Banerjee said in the House. Speaking on the bill, which seeks to make amendments in relevant provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, Mamata Banerjee said, "It was a matter of shame that the Prime Minister could not do what her government did".

Demanding the resignation of the PM and the Union home minister, Banerjee said: "I have written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wanted a stringent law on rape but there was no reply from the PM."


BJP supported the new bill but demanded immediate execution of the law. "We want execution of the bill immediately. It is the responsibility of the state government," Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said in the Assembly. "After doing her duty for 36 hours, our sister at RG Kar Hospital was raped and murdered in the state government-run hospital premises."

Banerjee said that the Governor should promptly clear the bill, so that it can be sent to the President for final clearance.

Meanwhile, there was ruckus in the Assembly as BJP MLAs demanded Mamata Banerjee's resignation on the issue. The bill includes the provision of death penalty to the person committing rape and inflicting injury which causes death or causes the victim to be in a vegetative state, among other things. "The bill will also include the constitution of Aparajita Task Force,a Special Police force for the completion of the probe in 21 days," Banerjee said.

Suvendu Adhikari raised the slogan 'dofa ek, dabi ek, mukyomontrir podotyag' (one point, one demand, chief minister's resignation) on the floor of the House. Adhikari sought amendments in the bill such as strict punishments for officers if allegations of evidence tampering are found to be true, and if the investigating officers change their statements. He also said that the bill should stipulate a 30-day deadline for punishment.

Adhikari mentioned that even the doctors' association of Pakistan came out with a statement saying that the Bengal government has brought shame to the country.