Kolkata Incident Response

In response to the nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the central government to introduce national legislation and establish fast-track courts for handling rape cases.

Urging the central government to bring in central legalization and set up fast-track courts for "sensitive" issues, to ensure fast speedy trial, West Bengal Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the national outrage over the RG Kar medical hospital incident where a second-year trainee doctor was raped and murdered.

According to an ANI report, as the nation fumes over the RG Kar medical hospital incident, igniting discussions and protests on crime against women in India, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a letter to PM Modi wrote, "I wish to bring your kind attention to the regular and increasing occurrence of rape cases throughout the country and in many cases, rapes with murder are committed."

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Mamata, in the letter, mentioned that such "sensitive" issues need to be addressed comprehensively through stringent central legalization prescribing exemplary punishment against the persons involved in such dastardly crimes.

The Bengal Chief Minister suggested setting up of "fast track special courts" to deal with such cases, which need a speedy trial.

"To ensure justice, trial in such cases should preferably be completed within 15 days," the letter further read, news agency ANI reported.

"It is horrifying to see that almost 90 cases of rapes occur daily throughout the country. This shakes the confidence and conscience of the society and the nation," Banerjee said.

The chief minister emphasised that it is the "bounden duty" for all of us to put an end to it so that the women feel safe and secure, reports UNI.

The West Bengal Chief Minister is facing criticism from opposition leaders, including BJP's Anil K Antony, who has called for her resignation.

Earlier, BJP leader Anil K Antony on Friday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He alleged that atrocities against women are high in West Bengal despite the state being ruled by a woman chief minister.

"West Bengal is a state with a woman Chief Minister but when it comes to atrocities against women, West Bengal has become the state with one of the highest number of cases. In the last few months, we have seen what happened in Sandeshkhali, and now in Kolkata. There are allegations as well as proof coming out that the police have been trying to tamper with evidence and protect people involved in this kind of heinous incident," Anil K Antony told ANI.

"Law and order in the state is non-existent. Both the police department and the health ministry are under the Chief Minister and both ministries are not functioning. BJP demands that the CM should resign for the safety and well-being of the citizens of India," he added.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity.

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