Bengal govt convenes special assembly session on Monday to pass anti-rape Bill

Kolkata: A two-day special session of the West Bengal assembly was convened by the government on September 2 to table and pass a Bill which would provide for capital punishment to convicted rapists, West Bengal Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said. The Bill would be tabled for discussion and passage on Tuesday, the second day of the special session, Speaker Biman Banerjee said.

The move came a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that an amendment to existing laws will be passed in the state assembly next week to ensure capital punishment for convicted rapists. An alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month has thrown Bengal into social and political turmoil.

“I am not aware of the title of the Bill yet. But it will be tabled on Tuesday for discussion and passage by members. So far we are convening a two-day special session which could be extended if additional businesses for the House are included later,” Banerjee said. The monsoon session of the Bengal assembly was prorogued on August 5. “Since the session was prorogued and not adjourned sine die, we do not need the Governor's permission to reconvene the House,” Chattopadhyay said. The minister added that the state Bill would “expedite the justice procedure that has been envisaged in the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita” for cases of rape and forms of sexual assault.

“The current provisions of justice and punishment in the BNS are long drawn. We want to complete that process in a time-bound manner,” Chattopadhyay said. Speaking at the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad's foundation day rally on Wednesday, the chief minister said she would sit on dharna outside Raj Bhavan here if the Governor delays in giving his nod to the amended Bill or forwards it to the President for ratification. The CM said women will be at the forefront of the proposed dharna accompanied by "their brothers".