Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi again, urges stringent anti-rape laws

Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday shot off another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pressing for stingent central legislation on incidents of rape and meting out exemplary punishment to perpetrators of such crimes. This is the second letter from the Chief Minister to PM Modi on this issue. In the fresh communique to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister claimed that she had not received any reply from PM Modi to his earlier letter that she wrote on August 22. “No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue,” her letter read. At the same time, the Chief Minister said that although she had received a reply from Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, it did not address the gravity of the issue. “I am of the thought that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society has not been adequately appreciated in the reply,” her letter read. Next, she highlighted the steps taken by her government in the matter like setting up additional fast-track special courts and POCSO courts, posting only retired judicial officers as presiding officers of the fast-track courts as per Central government laws and introducing helpline numbers among others. She concluded the letter by reiterating her earlier request for stringent Central legislation ensuring exemplary punishment from crimes like rape or rape and murder and speedy disposal of the trial process in such cases. In her previous letter on August 22, the Chief Minister had requested the Prime Minister to initiate a process where that trial in rape and rape & murder cases can be completed in 15 days. “It is the bounden duty for all of us to put an end to it so that the women feel safe and secure. Such serious and sensitive issues need to be addressed comprehensively through stringent central legislation prescribing exemplary punishment against the persons involved in such dastardly crimes,” read the Chief Minister’s letter to the Prime Minister on August 22. —