Kiren Rijiju Slams CM Mamata, Reminds Her Of His Letter About Fast-Track Courts

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has strongly criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to establish fast-track special courts (FTSCs) to expedite the trial and disposal of pending rape and POCSO Act cases in the state. Rijiju expressed his disappointment, stating that it was sad the Chief Minister “ignored her most sacred duty of providing quick justice for women and children”.

The Minister’s remarks came in response to the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passing the anti-rape ‘Aparajita’ bill introduced by the Mamata Banerjee-led state government. The bill was introduced in the wake of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Rijiju shared a letter dated November 11, 2021, addressed to the West Bengal government, requesting the establishment of FTSCs for cases of rape and those registered under the POCSO Act. The letter highlighted that 123 FTSCs, including 20 ePOCSO Courts, were allocated for West Bengal, but the state government’s consent was not received. As of May 2021, there were 28,559 pending rape and POCSO Act cases in the state.

In his tweet, Rijiju pointed out that when the letter was written in 2021, the “media had carried this news extensively, but West Bengal government failed to act”. He emphasized that while strong laws are necessary, strong actions are more important.

The Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, termed the proposed ‘Aparajita’ legislation as “historic” and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the chief ministers of all states that have ‘not been able to implement effective laws’.