Abhishek Banerjee Calls for Stronger Anti-Rape Laws After RG Kar Hospital Incident
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has highlighted the low conviction rate for rape cases in India, which is currently at 26%. He has called for a stringent anti-rape law that ensures trials and convictions within 50 days. Banerjee posted a chart on X showing the number of rapes and atrocities against women in the last 15 days following the RG Kar Hospital incident.
Banerjee stated, “This collage stands as a stark reminder of the state of affairs in India over the last 15 days as the nation fights for justice against rape. The answer is clear: a stringent anti-rape law that ensures trials and convictions within 50 days, followed by immediate and harsh punishment. The shocking truth is that the conviction rate for rape cases in India is a dismal 26 per cent. This translates to only 26 convictions out of every 100 reported cases, while 74 offenders escape unpunished.”
He added, “If we are to deliver justice to the victims of this appalling crime, it is imperative that we demand a time-bound anti-rape law from our state and union government.” Banerjee also asserted that anything else is futile, merely symbolic, and ultimately ineffective.
His statement comes in the wake of a scheduled protest by students against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College. In response to the protests, the West Bengal police have tightened security around the state secretariat “Nabanna” by deploying vajra vehicles, water cannons, and Riot Control Force, and placing containers to block the roads.
After days of protest at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital over the sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor, the hospital is gradually returning to normal life with patient numbers now exceeding 1000, according to Saptarshi Chatterjee, Medical Superintendent and Vice President of the Hospital.
The brutal rape and murder of the woman trainee doctor on the premises of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 sparked outrage across the country, leading to several protests demanding justice for the victim.
Doubts Revealed
Abhishek Banerjee -: Abhishek Banerjee is a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party in India. He is also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Anti-Rape Laws -: Anti-rape laws are rules made by the government to punish people who commit rape. These laws are meant to protect people and ensure that those who do bad things are punished.
RG Kar Hospital -: RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is a big hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is named after Dr. Radha Gobinda Kar, a famous doctor.
TMC -: TMC stands for Trinamool Congress, a political party in India. It is mainly active in the state of West Bengal.
Conviction Rate -: Conviction rate is the percentage of people who are found guilty of a crime out of all the people who are tried in court. A low conviction rate means not many people are being punished for the crime.
State Secretariat -: The state secretariat is the main office where the government of a state works. In West Bengal, it is called Nabanna.
Protests -: Protests are when people gather to show they are unhappy about something. They want to bring attention to an issue and ask for change.