West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement stricter central legislation and impose exemplary punishment for severe crimes such as rape and murder in her recent letter to Modi on Friday.
Banerjee mentioned that there was 'no reply' from the PM regarding 'such a sensitive issue'. A widespread outrage sparked across India over the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
Banerjee on Wednesday said an amendment to existing laws will be passed in the state assembly next week to ensure capital punishment to convicted rapists.
Banerjee noted that she has not yet received a response from the Prime Minister regarding her concerns. However, she mentioned that she has received a reply from the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
Maintaining that the letter by the WCD minister "barely attends the gravity of the issue" raised by her, Banerjee wrote, "The seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply."
The CM wrote that 10 exclusive POCSO (Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act) courts have been approved by the state government.
She also noted that West Bengal currently has 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO courts, all funded by the state.
Banerjee mentioned that the helpline numbers 112 and 1098 are active in the state, and Dial-100 is widely used for emergencies.
WCD Minister Annapurna Devi had on Wednesday said the situation of women in West Bengal has been "deteriorating" and slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to implement central schemes such as fast-track courts and emergency helplines to deal with crimes against women.
Devi claimed that the fast-track special courts (FTSCs), which were allocated to West Bengal, are yet to become operational in the state.
The WCD minister also said that the state "failed" to implement key emergency helplines -- the Women Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and Child Helpline.
