The West Bengal government, led by Mamata Banerjee, is set to introduce a new anti-rape bill in the state Assembly on Tuesday. The proposed law seeks to impose the death penalty for those convicted of rape if the crime leads to the victim's death or leaves her in a vegetative state.
In addition to the death penalty, the bill also proposes a life sentence without the possibility of parole for individuals convicted of rape or gangrape. This legislation, titled the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024,' is designed to enhance legal protections for women and children by revising and adding new provisions related to sexual offences.
The bill is being introduced during a special two-day session of the Assembly, which was convened following the tragic rape and murder of a woman medic at a state-run medical college last month. The bill is expected to be presented by the state Law Minister.
However, there has been some controversy surrounding the special session, with the Leader of the Opposition alleging that the decision to hold the session was made unilaterally by the Chief Minister without consulting the opposition.
If the BJP MLAs stay in the House, they will be compelled to participate in the discussion. Opposing the Bill could send a negative message to the public. The BJP has already called for the chief minister's resignation over this issue. Experts believe that the BJP MLAs are likely to boycott the session tomorrow. It's worth noting that Abhishek Banerjee, while speaking at the Chhatra Parishad foundation day, remarked that the BJP would never pass a strict anti-rape law because it could lead to the arrest of their own members for alleged involvement in such crimes.
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