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The political landscape of India is marked by a constant exchange of accusations and counter-accusations between the ruling party and the opposition. This dynamic has recently come to the fore in the ongoing spat between the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the issue of women's safety. The Centre has launched a scathing critique of West Bengal's alleged failure to implement crucial safety measures for women and girls, highlighting a stark contrast in their approaches to addressing this critical social concern.
The crux of the Centre's criticism lies in West Bengal's purported inaction in establishing 11 fast-track special courts mandated by a central scheme. These courts were intended to expedite the trial of pending rape and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases, which as of June 2024, stood at a staggering 48,600. The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, pointed out in a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that while other states had operationalized a significant number of these courts, West Bengal had failed to establish even a single one. This inaction, according to the Centre, is a direct impediment to ensuring swift justice for victims of sexual violence.
The Centre's accusations go beyond the non-operationalization of fast-track courts. It further contends that West Bengal has failed to implement vital emergency helplines such as the Women Helpline (WHL) 181, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112, Child Helpline 1098, and Cyber Crime Helpline 1930. These helplines, designed to provide immediate assistance to women and children in distress, remain inaccessible to citizens of West Bengal due to the state government's alleged lack of implementation. The Centre asserts that despite repeated requests and reminders, the state government has not taken any concrete steps to operationalize these crucial services.
The Centre's criticism comes in response to Mamata Banerjee's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where she called for a stringent central law to punish rapists. Banerjee's letter cited alarming data indicating a daily average of 90 rape cases across the country, with many victims also being murdered. While acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, the Centre's response highlights the lack of action on the ground level within West Bengal, which it believes is undermining the overall effort to improve women's safety in the country. This exchange of letters highlights the deep political divide between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, and raises concerns about the effectiveness of their respective approaches to tackling the pressing issue of women's safety in India.
Source: In response to Mamata's letter, Centre slams her over women's safety: ‘Failed…’