• Source:JND
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West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose referred the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024 - a significant law passed by the Mamata Banerjee government, which seeks to curb sexual offences - to the President of India Droupadi Murmu.

Sharing the news on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Raj Bhavan Media Cell stated that Governor Bose referred the Aparajita bill to President Murmu after receiving mandatory technical reports from the West Bengal government. However, Raj Bhavan also expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the Assembly secretariat to provide the text of the debates and its translation as required under the rules.

It also accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of threatening dharna outside the Raj Bhavan if the bill is not assented to by the Governor.

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"At the end of acrimonious debates, mutual accusations, political threats and request, the Chief Minister had threatened dharna outside of Raj Bhavan if the Bill is not assented to by the Governor. The Governor took umbrage at the intimidatory stance of the CM and admonished the government for their failure in observing legal and constitutional proprieties," Raj Bhavan Media Cell stated on X.

As per the Raj Bhavan media cell, the Governor further highlighted many omissions and commissions in the hurriedly passed Bill, warning the Govt: 'Don't act in haste and repent at leisure'.

"The Governor said that people can not 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 govt's duty to wipe the tears of the bereaved mother who lost her dear daughter. Governor pointed out the glaring defects and lapses in the Bill and advised govt to do their homework instead of going in for knee jerk responses," Raj Bhavan Media Cell stated on X.

What Is Aparajita Bill

In the wake of the horrific Kolkata rape and murder of a trainee doctor, the West Bengal government tabled the new bill, which stipulates the death penalty or life-long imprisonment for the offences of rape. The Bill requires rape investigations to be completed within 21 days, with a possible 15-day extension, subject to approval by a senior police officer.

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