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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata and reiterated her early warning There are sometimes demands for severe punishment of the murderer. (File Image/PTI)
WCD Minister Annpurna Devi mentioned in the letter that stringent punishment for rape/rape-murder “already exists in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)”
Union Women and Child Development Minister Ampurna Devi on Friday responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her earlier demand for strict Punishing heinous crimes like rape and rape-murder. The WCD minister mentioned that stringent punishment for rape/rape-murder “already exists in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“It provides for rigorous imprisonment for at least 10 years for rape which may extend to life imprisonment for the remainder of the offender's natural life or death penalty depending on the gravity of the offence,” the Union Minister said in the letter.
“If state governments comply with central legislation…”
“I reiterate that the central government’s legislation is comprehensive and stringent enough to address the issue of violence and crime against women. If state governments adhere to the central legislation in letter and spirit, it will surely have a lasting impact in strengthening the criminal justice system to make such Perpetrators of crimes face consequences proportionate to the crime and justice is ensured for the victim or survivor,” Annpurna Devi further said.
The federal minister concluded the letter by stressing that “the central government is committed to taking measures to create a safe and secure ecosystem and a gender-equal society for women and girls to grow and thrive, and to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls.”
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee shared her second letter on microblogging site . However, the response from the Minister of Women and Child Development of the Government of India hardly took into account the seriousness of the issues raised in my letter.
