CPI(M) MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya Criticizes Mamata Banerjee’s Anti-Rape Bill ‘Aparajita’
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 4: CPI(M) MP and lawyer for the RG Kar victim’s family, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, has criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s new anti-rape bill, Aparajita. He called it “absolutely useless” and claimed it was more about opposing the central government than solving the issue.
Bhattacharya argued that the bill is just a distraction and won’t help anyone. He said, “They have the legislative power to enact a law, and accordingly, they have brought a bill but this is absolutely useless. No agency can complete an investigation within a limited period and then go for trial and finish it in a certain time. These are all populistic jargon. It will ultimately fetch no benefit to anybody. This will give her another step forward to fight against the centre because, most likely, this bill will not be approved by the President. They will go on shouting against the centre again, that is the reason behind introducing this bill. Nothing else.”
He added, “Cutting across lines and borders, people are completely frustrated and agitated against this administration. She has just made an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the main issue.”
The West Bengal assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024, after the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defended the bill, saying it aims to protect the dignity of women. She said, “I had written two letters to the Prime Minister, but I did not get any reply from him; rather, I got a reply from the Minister of Women and Child Development, but I also replied to her reply and informed the Prime Minister. When the Code of Justice Bill was passed in a hurry before the elections, I had said that it should not be passed in a hurry; the states were not consulted in this. I had opposed it many times as no advice was taken from the states in this regard, it should have been passed after discussing with the Rajya Sabha, the opposition, and all the parties, but this was not done.”
She added, “That is why today we are bringing this bill to secure protection for women. If Bengal is ill-treated, then it will have a spillover effect.”
Doubts Revealed
CPI(M) -: CPI(M) stands for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It is a political party in India that follows the ideas of communism, which is about sharing resources and wealth equally among people.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. It is a person who has been elected to represent the people in the Parliament, which is a place where laws are made for the country.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya -: Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya is a politician from the CPI(M) party. He is a Member of Parliament and has been involved in politics for many years.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal, a state in India. She is the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party and has been in politics for a long time.
Anti-Rape Bill -: An anti-rape bill is a proposed law that aims to prevent rape and protect victims. It includes rules and punishments to stop such crimes and help those affected.
Aparajita -: Aparajita is the name of the anti-rape bill introduced by Mamata Banerjee. The word ‘Aparajita’ means ‘undefeated’ in Bengali, symbolizing strength and resilience.
West Bengal Assembly -: The West Bengal Assembly is a group of elected representatives who make laws for the state of West Bengal. It is similar to a smaller version of the Parliament but for the state.
Central Government -: The central government is the main government of India, which makes decisions for the entire country. It is different from state governments, which make decisions for individual states.
