In her letter, Mamata reminded Prime Minister Modi of her first letter of August 22, in which she had stressed the need for strict central legislation on rape and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators, and for those who did not Expressing concern over getting any response, Mamata wrote in her letter: “We are yet to receive any response from your side on such a sensitive issue.”
West Bengal Chief Minister acknowledges Union Women and Child Development Minister’s response annapurnadevi But he said the minister’s answer was “very general and hardly took into account the seriousness of the problem”.
“In my opinion, the general reply of the Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of India, does not fully appreciate the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to society (see its No. 1/RESC/HMWCD/2024, dated 2024 August 25, 2019),” Mamata wrote in the letter.
The BJP has reacted strongly to Mamata’s letter, asking her to answer questions raised by Union ministers instead of writing to the Prime Minister.
“Mamata Banerjee is a liar. Women and Child Development Minister Smt Annapurna Devi replied to the West Bengal Chief Minister on August 25, 2024. In her letter, point 4, she specifically mentioned West Bengal The government has not even set up a single agency.
The BJP leader quoted relevant parts of the minister’s response and said, “It is the responsibility of Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government has not taken any steps to enforce strict rules and regulations aimed at protecting women and girls. Stop writing to answer the question.
Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Tarun Chugh asked Mamata Banerjee to act with honesty and integrity and said writing a letter to the Prime Minister was not enough to provide justice to the victim.
Tarun Chugh wrote in a post on Justice was served by the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
Earlier, Annapurna Devi in her reply said the situation of women in West Bengal has been “deteriorating” and criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to implement central schemes like fast-track courts and emergency helplines to address crimes against women. The Union Minister also claimed that the Fast Track Special Tribunal (FTSC) allocated to West Bengal is yet to become operational in the state.
Mamata refuted the minister’s allegations and wrote that the state government has approved the establishment of 10 exclusive POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act) courts. She further mentioned that 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO designated courts are already functioning in West Bengal with state funding.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also wrote that the state’s helpline numbers 112 and 1098 are operational and Dial-100 is also being used extensively during emergencies.
Mamata has come under pressure over the rape-murder case, with the BJP leading protests against her government and demanding her resignation.
