West Bengal Governor sends anti-rape bill to President Murmu for 'consideration'

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, on September 6 sent the anti-rape bill - the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 to President Droupadi Murmu for her consideration, as per the Raj Bhavan.

This comes after Bose received a technical report of the legislation. 

As per a statement by the Raj Bhavan, the West Bengal governor pointed "glaring defects and lapses" in the bill and hit out at the state government.

The Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 was unanimously passed in the Assembly On September 3 amid nationwide outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In a statement posted on X, the Raj Bhavan expressed its displeasure over the failure of the Assembly secretariat to provide the text of the debates and its translation as required under the rules. It stated, "At the end of acrimonious debates, mutual accusations, political threats and ultimatum, the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) had threatened a dharna outside the Raj Bhavan if the bill is not assented to by the Governor."

"The Governor took umbrage at the intimidatory stance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and admonished the government for their failure in observing legal and constitutional proprieties," it added.

Earlier on Thursday, Bose accused the Mamata-led government of "failing to send" the technical report along with a copy of the bill that proposes capital punishment for rapists.

According to Friday's Raj Bhavan statement, the Governor pointed out the "omissions and commissions in the hurriedly passed bill". He warned the government, saying, 'Don’t act in haste and repent at leisure', the statement said.

Asserting that the people wanted justice for the trainee doctor, Bose said the state government should act effectively and pointed out "glaring defects and lapses in the bill".

"The Governor said that people can not wait till the bill is implemented. They want justice and justice should be given to them within the framework of the existing law. The government should act effectively, people should get justice. It is the government’s duty to wipe the tears of the bereaved mother who lost her dear daughter," the Raj Bhavan statement said.

"The Governor pointed out the glaring defects and lapses in the bill and advised the government to do their homework instead of going in for knee-jerk responses," it stated.