West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time. The CM seeks central legislation and ideal punishment for the brutal crimes such as rape and rape-murders.

“You may kindly recall my letter No.44-CM dated August 22, 2024 (copy enclosed) regarding the need for stringent Central legislation on incidents of rape and meting out exemplary punishment to perpetrators of such crimes. No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue” writes the CM. she adds, that a reply has been received from the minister of women and child development that barely addresses the gravity of the issue raised in the letter.

“I am of the thought that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply. Not only so, I would also refer to some of the initiatives in the area that our state has already taken which appears to have been overlooked in the reply”, the letter says. Mamata Banerjee has stated in the letter that the state government as approved 10 exclusive POCSO courts and actively operated 88 fast-track special courts (FTSCs) and 62 POCSO designated state-run courts.

“I am of the thought that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply. Not only so, I would also refer to some of the initiatives in the area that our state has already taken which appears to have been overlooked in the reply”, the CM mentions in the letter. She further adds, that the Helpline numbers 112 and 1098 are working in the state satisfactorily and with this “Dial-100” is extensively used in the emergencies.