Protests continue to rock Kolkata; Mamata writes to PM Modi again on ‘stringent’ laws

Ongoing protests in Kolkata over doctor's rape and murder, with BJP leaders demanding action from Women's Commission.

More than 20 days after the rape and murder of a doctor at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, protests continued to rock the city on Friday (Augus with leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s women’s wing putting a giant-sized model of a lock on the gate of the West Bengal State Women’s Commission. The BJP said the commission has neither made any statement nor taken any proactive steps after the violent crime.

Reiterating her request for stringent Central laws against crimes of sexual assault, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday again wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that she received no reply from the Prime Minister for her previous letter.

Also read: Kolkata Protests Highlights on August 30, 2024

“You may kindly recall my letter No. 44-CM dated August 22, 2024 (copy enclosed) regarding the need for stringent central legislation on incidents of rape and meting out exemplary punishment to perpetrators of such crime. No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue,” Ms. Banerjee wrote in the letter.

Referring to a letter by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi, the Chief Minister said that it “barely attends the gravity of the issue” raised by her. Ms. Devi had said that only six exclusive POCSO Courts have been operationalised in the State till June 2024. The Trinamool Congress chairperson in her letter referred to fast-track courts and helpline numbers in the State.

“Regarding Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), 10 exclusive POCSO Courts have been approved by the State Government. In addition to this, 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO designated Courts are functioning throughout the State on complete State funding,” Ms. Banerjee wrote in her letter. The West Bengal Legislative Assembly has called for a session of Assembly next week to pass a Bill with provisions of a capital punishment against those convicted of rape.

On Friday, several leaders of the BJP Mahila Morcha led by MLA Agnimitra Paul, former MP Locket Chatterjee and former Union Minister Debasree Choudhury, protested outside the women’s commission office. The BJP leaders went inside and met members of the commission. The West Bengal BJP leadership held protests at Esplanade with State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar leading a sit-in demonstration. Protests were organised by members of the civil society who spoke against the attempts to politicise the issue.