West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that her government would bring in a Bill providing for capital punishment for rape and that if the Governor refused to give his assent to the legislation, Trinamool Congress workers would protest in front of Raj Bhavan.
“I will tell Speaker to call an Assembly session next week and we will bring in a Bill that will have capital punishment for rape,” Banerjee said and claimed that the Central Government had refused to enact such a law in spite of demands for it. “Our workers, male and female, will sit in protest in front of Raj Bhavan,” she added.
Speaking at a rally of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, her party’s student wing, Banerjee again appealed to junior doctors to end their strike and join work. They are protesting over the rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
“I express solidarity with the movement for justice to the junior doctor. I was never against them. Today also they are marching demanding justice. I said to the administration they should be given full security. But they are doctors and bound to serve the people. The Supreme Court has already requested them to join work.”
The chief minister said the apex court had also stated that if the doctors did not resume work, the state government could take steps to end their strike. “I am not doing so. I am requesting them to join work, because poor people can’t go to private hospitals,” she added.
Banerjee reiterated that she wanted a speedy trial and capital punishment in the RG Kar rape-murder case.
“Now 16 days have gone and the CBI has done nothing,” she said. “With violence the BJP basically wants to divert attention from the issue.”
Banerjee said that when she assumed power in the state, she wanted change and not revenge. “Badla noi, badal chai (we don’t want revenge, we want change),” the chief minister said.
“Ami kakhono badla chaini… Aj bolchhi… jeta kora dorkar, seta apnara bhalo bujhe korben. Ami oshanti chai na… kintu je kutsa opoprochar kore apnake roj kamrachchhe, apni take kamraben na… Kintu fhons to korte paren…” (I never wanted revenge. But now I say, you will understand well what needs to be done. I don’t want trouble. Today, you will understand what needs to be done. But the ugly, slanderous one that bites you every day, you don’t bite him but you can hiss.)
Earlier, Banerjee wrote on X that she dedicated the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad’s foundation day to the RG Kar doctor who was raped and murdered.
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