Answering the BJP’s attack over the rape -murder of a 31 year old doctor in a hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banaerjee today questioned the progress in the CBI’s investigation into the case.
While addressing a public event to mark the foundation day of Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing, the Chief Minister said, “I asked for five days’ time, but the case was sent to the CBI. They don’t want justice. They want a delay. It has been 16 days, where is justice?”
A Trinamool leader sharply criticized the BJP over yesterday’s march to the state secretariat, Nabanna, which resulted in chaotic scenes on Kolkata streets. While organizers claimed the march was led by student groups, the Trinamool accused the BJP and ABVP of conspiring to create unrest.
Reportedly 200 people were taken into custody and police used teargas shells, water cannons and batons to stop the protest.
“BJP has called a bandh because they want dead bodies. We want justice and death by hanging for the accused. They (BJP) have moved away from the goal of demanding justice for the victim. Now they are defaming Bengal. The BJP is shameless. They are indulging in a conspiracy,” Mamta said.
“I want to salute the police that despite coming under attack, they did not fall into the trap and prevented deaths,” she added.
At the event, Trinamool General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of Ms. Banerjee, announced that the party would introduce a private members’ Bill for an anti-rape law if the Centre fails to act. He condemned those using the incident for “dead body politics,” holding them responsible for cases in Unnao, Hathras, Kathua, and Badlapur. Banerjee emphasized the need for time-bound trials and convictions in rape cases to be enshrined in law.
As the Trinamool Congress presses the Centre for stronger laws on women’s safety, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi criticized the Bengal government for failing to implement schemes aimed at addressing crimes against women. She noted the irony of Bengal, the only state with a woman chief minister, seeing a worsening situation for women, according to her statement to PTI.
“There are states like West Bengal where we are trying to get the central government schemes implemented but it is not happening. There are central government schemes, such as fast track special courts and POCSO courts, that have been established to deal with crimes against women and children but the state (West Bengal) is lagging behind in it,” she said.
