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The political landscape of India witnessed a heated exchange between BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the recently passed anti-rape bill in the state assembly. Chouhan, a prominent figure in the BJP, launched a scathing critique of the bill, labeling it a mere 'diversionary tactic' aimed at deflecting attention from the ongoing controversy surrounding the R. G. Kar hospital rape-murder incident. He questioned the timing of the bill's introduction, suggesting that it was a politically motivated move intended to appease public sentiment rather than a genuine effort to address the issue of violence against women.
Chouhan specifically targeted the provision within the bill that calls for capital punishment for rape convicts whose actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state. He pointedly inquired about the fate of Sheikh Shahjahan, the accused in the Sandeshkhali sexual abuse case, questioning whether he would also face the death penalty under the newly enacted law. By highlighting the case of Shahjahan, Chouhan attempted to expose a perceived hypocrisy in the government's approach to justice and raise concerns about the bill's practical implementation.
The Sandeshkhali case, involving the alleged sexual assault of several women by the then TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, has been a highly controversial event in West Bengal. Shahjahan's alleged abuse of power and the ensuing mob attacks on ED officials investigating him added fuel to the political fire, leading to widespread condemnation of the TMC government. Chouhan's reference to Shahjahan and the Sandeshkhali case served as a direct challenge to the state government's handling of the case and its claims of taking a tough stance on crimes against women. He suggested that the bill was merely a facade, designed to project an image of decisiveness without addressing the root causes of violence and ensuring justice for victims.
Source: ‘Will Shahjahan be hanged?': Shivraj Chouhan to Mamata Banerjee on Bengal's anti-rape bill