West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that the State Assembly will convene next week to pass a bill mandating capital punishment for those convicted of rape, following the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. She vowed to put pressure on Governor CV Ananda Bose to approve the bill and urged protests if he refuses to sign it.
Speaking in Kolkata, Banerjee stated that the bill would be introduced in the State Assembly and passed within 10 days. She expressed skepticism about Governor Bose’s willingness to approve the legislation, stating, “If he doesn’t pass it, we will sit outside Raj Bhavan. This bill must be passed, and he cannot evade accountability this time.”
Banerjee made these remarks during an event marking the foundation day of her party’s student wing, the Trinamool Congress. She also praised the efforts of the State police during the recent protests at the State Secretariat.
In her address, the Chief Minister responded to the BJP’s criticism over the handling of the rape and murder case by questioning the progress of the CBI’s investigation, asking, “Where is justice?” She also criticized the BJP’s march to the state secretariat, Nabanna, which resulted in clashes on the streets of Kolkata. The police used teargas, water cannons, and batons to disperse protesters, detaining over 200 people. In response, the BJP called for a 12-hour bandh.
On Wednesday, BJP workers clashed with police at various locations across West Bengal as they tried to enforce a 12-hour statewide shutdown, or ‘Bangla Bandh.’ Several BJP leaders, including former Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly and MLA Agnimitra Paul, were detained for blocking roads and railway tracks since early morning.
The bandh, which began at 6 am, was called by the BJP to protest the police action during Tuesday’s ‘Nabanna Abhijan,’ a march to the state secretariat organized by the newly formed student group Chatra Samaj in response to the rape and murder of the doctor.
In Kolkata, the usual weekday activity was noticeably reduced, with fewer buses, auto-rickshaws, and taxis on the roads. While markets and shops remained open, private vehicles were sparse. Schools and colleges operated as usual, though with reduced attendance, and many private offices saw lower attendance as employees were advised to work from home. Government offices, however, reported normal attendance.