West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during a debate on Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024 which was tabled in the state Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill introduced amid outrage and protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital, aims to strengthen protections for women and children.
Addressing the Assembly, Banerjee outlined the objectives of the Aparajita Bill, which includes provisions for quick investigations, fast justice delivery, and harsher punishments for offenders.
“Through this bill, we have tried to plug the loopholes that exist in the central legislation,” she said amid sloganeering by BJP members.
Some of the Opposition MLAs demanded Bengal CM’s resignation, resulting in a heated exchange between the TMC and BJP MLAs.
In a sharp retort to the BJP leaders’ demand, Banerjee asked, “What if I raise slogans against the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for the same reasons you are raising slogans against me?”
Claiming “abnormally high crime rates against women” in BJP ruled states of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, Ms Banerjee drew comparisons between Bengal and these states, claiming that while women in Bengal are getting justice in courts, victims in states like UP and Gujarat are not.
“No one talks about what happened in Unnao, and the victim of Hathras did not get justice,” she added, referring to two high-profile cases of violence against women in Uttar Pradesh.
Banerjee’s comments escalated further as she demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, and all chief ministers “unable to implement effective legislation to safeguard women.”
The mention of Modi and Shah triggered loud protests from BJP lawmakers, but Banerjee remained unfazed. She questioned the BJP members, “What if I raise slogans against the PM and Home Minister as you raise against me?” underscoring the deep political divide over issues of women’s safety and justice.
