NEW DELHI, Sept 6: The West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday sent the anti-rape bill as passed by the state Assembly earlier this week to President Droupadi Murmu for her consideration, according to Raj Bhavan.
Bose referred the bill to the President for her consideration after he received a technical report of the legislation. He, however, pointed out “glaring defects and lapses” in the bill and hit out at the state government, the Raj Bhavan statement said.
On September 3, the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 was unanimously passed in the Assembly amid nationwide outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee postgraduate doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
In a statement posted on X, the Raj Bhavan, expressed its displeasure over the failure of the Assembly secretariat to provide the text of the debates and its translation as required under the rules. “At the end of acrimonious debates, mutual accusations, political threats and ultimatum, the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) had threatened a dharna outside the Raj Bhavan if the bill is not assented to by the Governor,” the statement said.
“The Governor took umbrage at the intimidatory stance of the Chief Minister and admonished the government for their failure in observing legal and constitutional proprieties,” it added. According to Friday’s Raj Bhavan statement, the Governor pointed out the “omissions and commissions in the hurriedly passed bill.” He warned the government, saying, ‘Don’t act in haste and repent at leisure’, the statement said.
Asserting that the people wanted justice for the trainee doctor, Bose said the state government should act effectively and pointed out “glaring defects and lapses in the bill.” “The Governor said that people cannot wait till the bill is implemented. They want justice and justice should be given to them within the framework of the existing law. The government should act effectively, people should get justice. It is the government’s duty to wipe the tears of the bereaved mother who lost her dear daughter,” the Raj Bhavan statement said.
“The Governor pointed out the glaring defects and lapses in the bill and advised the government to do their homework instead of going in for knee-jerk responses,” it stated.
(Manas Dasgupta)