The West Bengal assembly Tuesday unanimously passed the anti-rape “Aparajita” bill, introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government. This makes Bengal the first state to amend central laws addressing rape, gang-rape, and sexual crimes against children.

The bill will now be sent to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and subsequently to President Droupadi Murmu for approval.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the bill as ‘historic’ and a ‘model,’ dedicating it to the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month. She said that rape is a curse against humanity, and social reforms are required to prevent such crimes.

The bill, Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024, mandates death penalty for rape and sexual offences in cases where the victim dies or is left in a vegetative state. It also mandates life imprisonment without parole for those convicted of rape.

The provisions under the POCSO Act will be further tightened in the state. The bill also calls for the formation of a task force to ensure that the accused are punished within 21 days of the preliminary report.

The Bengal chief minister urged the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Suvendu Adhikari, to persuade Governor CV Ananda Bose to give his assent to the bill.

“Through this bill, we have tried to plug the loopholes that exist in the central legislation. Rape is a curse against humanity, social reforms are required to stop such crimes,” she said.

“The opposition should ask the governor to sign the Bill; it is our responsibility to enact it after that. We want justice from CBI, death by hanging of the guilty,” she added.

The BJP argued that the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) already contains stringent provisions to address crimes against women and children. Suvendu Adhikari proposed seven amendments to the bill.

“We want immediate implementation of this (anti-rape) law; it is your (state government) responsibility. We want results; it is the government’s responsibility. We do not want any division; we fully support you, we will listen to the Chief Minister’s statement comfortably, she can say whatever she wants but you have to guarantee that this bill will be implemented immediately,” Adhikari said.

When BJP MLAs raised slogans and demanded her resignation, the Bengal CM countered, “What if I raise slogans against the prime minister and the home minister for the same reasons you are raising slogans against me?”

“Crime rates against women in states like UP, Gujarat are abnormally high. While tortured women in West Bengal are getting justice in court. West Bengal was not consulted before passing BNS; we wanted discussions on it after the new government formation,” she said.

Despite some chaotic scenes, the bill was passed unanimously with full support from the Opposition, although the proposed amendments by Suvendu Adhikari were not accepted by the House.

The two-day special session of the assembly was convened amid ongoing protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata in August.