Governor Criticizes West Bengal Government Over Anti-Rape Bill

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has expressed dissatisfaction with the Mamata Banerjee government for not providing a technical report along with the recently passed anti-rape bill, according to officials. The absence of this report is mandatory before the Governor can approve the legislation, known as the Aparajita Bill.

"The Governor criticized the administration for not attaching the technical report as required by law. This has led to delays in granting assent to the bill," said a Raj Bhavan representative, as reported by PTI.

The official added, "This isn't the first instance where the government has withheld essential reports and subsequently blamed Raj Bhavan for the delays in bill approvals."

Governor Bose also accused the state government of neglecting thorough work on this sensitive legislation. He further noted that the Aparajita Bill seems to have been copied from similar bills enacted in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The source indicated that Governor Bose believes Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's threat of a dharna is merely a tactic to mislead the public, given that similar bills are awaiting the President’s approval.

The West Bengal Assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 on September 3. Banerjee urged opposition parties to press the Governor for swift approval of the bill, which was supported by the BJP. The legislation introduces stricter punishments for rape, including capital punishment in cases resulting in death or vegetative state, as well as life imprisonment without parole for other offenders. It also mandates faster investigations into rape cases, aiming to complete probes within 21 days instead of the previous 60-day window. The bill comes in response to a tragic rape and murder case involving a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.