Kolkata, 28 Aug

Asserting that her government has zero tolerance to incidents of rape, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said an amendment to existing laws will be passed in the state assembly next week to ensure capital punishment to convicted rapists.

Banerjee said that she would sit for dharna outside Raj Bhavan here if the governor delays in giving assent to the amended bill or forwards it to the President for ratification.

The chief minister also said that the TMC will launch a movement from Saturday at the state’s grassroots to create pressure on the Centre to pass legislation for capital punishment of convicted rapists.

“We will pass the amended bill in a special session of the assembly next week. We will then send it to the governor for his nod. We will stage dharna outside Raj Bhavan if he sits on the bill,” she thundered from the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad foundation day rally here.

Banerjee also urged the agitating junior doctors of Bengal, who have struck work for 20 days now to urgently consider returning to duty. “I have remained sympathetic towards the cause of the doctors from the very beginning since they were seeking justice for their colleague. We did not take any action against them although so many days have passed since the incident. We understand your pain. But please come back to work now since patients are suffering,” she appealed.

On August 9, the police recovered the body of the woman's postgraduate trainee doctor from the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The junior doctors of state-run hospitals have been continuing ceasework since the 9 August  evening, protesting against the alleged rape and murder of the woman medic and demanding justice for her. "Sixteen days have passed since the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the doctor's rape-murder probe from the Kolkata Police. Where is the justice?" Banerjee asked at the rally.

Coming down heavily on the BJP for calling a 12-hour bandh, Banerjee said, “They called the bandh since they wanted political dividends over a dead body. The BJP is trying to exploit the emotions of ordinary people in the wake of the death of the young woman. They want to malign Bengal and plotted a conspiracy to derail the probe into her death so that the victim and her family do not get justice.” She also alleged that the BJP was "indulging in large-scale cyber crimes using AI, causing social unrest".

Lauding police personnel for countering the 'Nabanna Abhijan' violence on Tuesday, the chief minister said, “Police acted in restraint despite provocations of BJP-backed outfits who wanted to kill. Despite suffering physical injuries and having their blood spilt from the attacks on them, the police did not fall prey to provocations."