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Bengal Doctor Protest: The West Bengal cabinet approved a proposal to introduce a new bill on Wednesday that is aimed at preventing rape and ensuring stricter punishments for such crimes. The bill is scheduled to be presented in the assembly next week.

According to news agency PTI, the senior cabinet member and state agriculture minister, Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, said he would request Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay to convene a special two-day assembly session from September 2. The proposal to hold the special session was cleared at a meeting of the state committee on Wednesday, which was chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

"The proposed Bill will be tabled in the Assembly on September 3," Chattopadhyay said as quoted by news agency PTI.

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The introduction of the bill comes in response to the recent rape-murder of a woman medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which has intensified calls for tougher measures against sexual violence.

Bengal Rape Murder Case: Here Are Top Updates:

- Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that an amendment to existing laws will be passed in the state assembly next week to ensure capital punishment for convicted rapists. Speaking at the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad's foundation day rally, Banerjee said she would sit for dharna outside Raj Bhavan here if the governor delays in giving assent to the amended bill or forwards it to the President for ratification.

- The TMC chief also urged the agitating junior doctors of Bengal, who are on cease-work for 20 days now to protest the alleged rape-murder of the RG Kar hospital medic, to urgently consider returning to duty.

- Meanwhile, the agitation doctors  interpreted the chief minister's remark as a "veiled threat" and rejected her appeal to join work. According to news agency PTI, a member of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum said they would not withdraw the agitation unless their demands for justice for the deceased and punishment for all responsible were met.

- Banerjee condemned the BJP's 12-hour 'Bengal Bandh' and called it an attempt to "defame" Bengal.

- In the day, Banerjee claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using his party to cause fire in Bengal over the Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder incident. She also warned that if you  burn Bengal, other states including Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi too shall burn and your chair will be toppled.

- "Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here. If you burn Bengal, Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair," Mamata Banerjee said.

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- Responding to Banerjee, Assam CM  Himanta Biswa Sharma hit back and said, "Didi, how dare you threaten Assam?"

- In a post on X, the Assam Chief Minister said, "Didi, how dare you threaten Assam? Don't show us red eyes. Don't even try to burn India with your politics of failure. It does not suit you to speak divisive language."

- On Wednesday, the TMC party workers staged a protest against the BJP's 12-hour 'Bengal Bandh' call against police crackdown on peaceful protests during the 'Nabanna Abhijan' march. The Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of trying to create anarchy in Bengal.

- The brutal rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital premises sparked outrage all over the country. The incident shook the entire nation, and since then several protests have been staged demanding justice for the victim.

(With input from agencies)