In the ongoing ‘Bangla Bandh’ called by the BJP in West Bengal, TMC’s National General Secretary, Mr. Abhishek Banerjee, laid down a stern warning to the Central Government on passing legislation pertaining to women’s safety. Announcing her party’s plan to stage protests across West Bengal, Banerjee gave the Centre three to four months to bring in a strong anti-rape law in the country. He declared that if the government does not act within this time frame, the TMC will mobilize a large protest march in Delhi.
Banerjee announced at a time when there was strict resistance against the 12-hour ‘Bangla Bandh’ call given by the BJP, which he condemned. He focused on the seriousness of the issue and discussed the concept of timely justice for the survivors of sexual abuse, calling for legal reforms for the same. The TMC leader also reiterated that a strict law regarding rape must prescribe trial and punishment within 50 days of the incident, and the culprits must be given adequate harsh penalties immediately.
Backing up his appeal with sensationalism, Banerjee posted a graphic thread on X (previously Twitter) about rape crimes and violence against women with a direct mention of the one that occurred at the RG Kar Hospital. He used this data to explain why legal reform is desperately needed now, pointing to the fact that in India, for instance, the conviction rate of rape cases is a shocking 26%. This statistic means that even when the victims report the rape cases, the convictions are made in only 26 percent of the reported cases meaning the perpetrators of these crimes are not punished most of the time.
Abhishek Banerjee also condemned all the steps other than a tough anti-rape law as gimmicks. He pointed out that, for substantive change to be effected in eradicating sexual violence, then there should be legal revisions that are consequential and not cosmetic ones. The leader of the TMC would like to apply pressure on the central government to introduce more effective legislation.
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