Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: In a heated exchange over women’s safety, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a ‘liar’ and demanded she puts forward an explanation for her government’s failure to enforce stringent protections for women. This sharp rebuke comes after Banerjee’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she advocated for tougher central laws and faster judicial proceedings for heinous crimes like rape and murder. Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-incharge for West Bengal, accused Banerjee of not only neglecting existing legal frameworks but also failing to establish fast-track courts to address these serious issues.
7 rapes (mostly minors) and in some cases murders too, reported from Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal in last 48 hours….
But in last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act, that a civilised Chief Minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters… pic.twitter.com/009JvQx3ld
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024
Recently, Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder. She also sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder. “It is incumbent on Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government hasn’t done anything for implementing the stringent rules and regulations, which exist for protecting women and girls,” BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
Mamata Banerjee is a LIAR.
Smt Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on 25th Aug 2024.
In her letter, in point 4, she specifically mentions West Bengal Govt NOT setting up even a single Fast Track Court for… https://t.co/mtNgQNLlnx pic.twitter.com/bu2Tf9Ptm2
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024
“Stop writing letters. Answer the questions. You are accountable,” he added. In her letter, Banerjee said that she was yet to receive a reply from the prime minister on the issue that she had flagged in her previous letter to him. The chief minister, however, said that she received a communication from the Union Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Annapurna Devi.
Maintaining that the letter by the WCD minister “barely attends the gravity of the issue” raised by her, Banerjee wrote, “The seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply.”
Banerjee, in her letter to the PM, mentioned that 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO-designated courts are already functioning in West Bengal on state funding. Reacting sharply, Malviya said, “Mamata Banerjee is a Liar”.
“Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on August 25, 2024. In her letter, in point 4, she (the WCD minister) specifically mentions West Bengal government not setting up even a single fast track court for addressing rape and POCSO related cases,” the BJP leader said. He also posted on X a copy of the WCD minister’s letter to the West Bengal chief minister. Malviya said that as many as seven cases of rape, mostly of minors, and in some cases murders too have been reported in West Bengal in the last 48 hours.
“But in the last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act – that a civilised chief minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters to clarifications, from threatening and abusing doctors to inciting nationwide arson,” he said in another post on X.
He called Banerjee a “failed Home and Health Minister” of the state and alleged that she is preoccupied with suppressing evidences of her corruption and incompetence in the RG Kar Hospital rape-and-murder case.
“But, enough is enough. The awakened conscience of Bengal now calls for accountability,” the BJP leader added.