Union Minister Kiren Rijiju On Wednesday, he criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and accused her government of neglect. Crimes against women In the state.
Amid the controversy surrounding the anti-rape bill in Bengal, Rijiju on November 11, 2021, issued a letter addressed to the West Bengal government, urging the setting up of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to deal with rape cases and those falling under the POCSO Act.
In a post on Twitter, Rijiju wrote, “I am saddened that the West Bengal CM ignored her most sacred duty of providing speedy justice to women and children. This letter from 2021 clearly reflects this. In 2018, a stringent law was passed by Parliament to deal with heinous crimes like rape. State governments must act!”
What was written in the letter?
The letter reads, “As per the information available, there are 28559 cases of rape and POCSO Act pending in the State of West Bengal as on May, 2021. Since the safety of our women and children is a matter of paramount concern for both the Central and State Government, the need for prompt operationalisation and robust functioning of the designated FTSC and EPOSC courts needs no special emphasis.”
It further said, “123 FTSCs including 20 e-POSCO courts were earmarked for the State of West Bengal based on the case-load. However, the consent of the State Government for setting up of these FTSCs and e-POSCO courts is still awaited.”
In another post, Rijiju wrote, “This is an extremely serious matter. Please do not make it a political issue. Very strict laws are necessary, but strict action is more important. When the letter was written, the media covered the news extensively, but the West Bengal government failed to take any action!”
The Union Minister also highlighted that in 2018, Parliament had enacted a stringent law to deal with heinous crimes like rape, which included provisions for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) to expedite the trial and resolution of pending cases of rape and POCSO Act. He alleged that despite several rounds of dialogue in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the Trinamool Congress government did not agree to implement this centrally sponsored scheme under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari reposted Rijiju's post, saying, “This letter dated 2021 sent by the then Union Minister for Law & Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju Ji highlights the indecisive attitude of the Government of West Bengal with regards to setting up of Fast Track Special Courts and POCSO Courts. Even after directly pursuing the matter with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, she ignored the issue, which was very urgent to ensure speedy justice for women and children.”
The official further said, “CM Mamata Banerjee, now is the time to walk the talk, everyone knows that whatever you are saying or doing is just a pretence.”
In December 2017, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to enact a law that provides for the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years or below.
The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the 'Aparajita Women and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Law and Amendment) 2024'.
The incident comes after the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital on August 9 last month.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her support for the West Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2024, saying that the bill is aimed at safeguarding the dignity of women and warned that if Bengal is mistreated, it will have far-reaching ramifications.
(with inputs from agencies)
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