Sena (UBT) MP seeks President''s nod for Maharashtra bills on crimes against women

Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) member of Rajya Sabha Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday said she has written to President Droupadi Murmu for her speedy assent to two bills on crimes against women and children, passed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government three years ago.

“On the occasion of auspicious Raksha Bandhan today, I have written a letter to President Murmu, asking her to expedite the assent to the bills which under the leadership of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray were cleared in the state assembly and have been awaiting her assent ever since,” Chaturvedi said.

“This would be the most fitting gift to the women of the state and the nation on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan,” she said.

The state assembly in December 2021 unanimously cleared the (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, on crimes against women and children. It provides for death penalty for rape and has increased minimum quantum of punishment in case of acid attacks on women and sexual assault of children. It also set a time limit of 30 days to complete probe from the day of registering of a complaint.

“The country is witnessing large-scale protests after a lady doctor pursuing her 2nd year PG internship at RG Kar hospital was brutally sexually assaulted and killed. The case gives us yet another stark reminder, since the 2012 Nirbhaya case, of how unsafe we continue to feel,” Chaturvedi said in her letter to Murmu.

“Such cases and those that happened in Hathras and Kathua, with numerous others that have led to India having 51 crimes against women each hour, have shaken women's trust in the country's legal system which fails to protect them.

“The pain, fear, and anger of crores of women is justified and re-emphasises the need to prioritise women's safety and ability, and access to faster justice. As a fellow woman, I am certain that you share their sentiment and agree that the need to walk the talk towards women's safety is now,” Chaturvedi wrote.

“In this context, I want to draw your attention towards the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, which, during the government led by Uddhav Thackeray, had passed in both the Houses after extensive stakeholder discussion and debate in the Maharashtra State Assembly in 2021,” she said.

The bill was significant and historic as it prioritised women's safety and introduced stringent punishment and swift prosecution but has been awaiting Presidential assent since then, she said.

“The delay in granting assent to this Bill has understandably raised concerns among the citizens of Maharashtra, especially considering the increasing cases of violence against women and children. Today as the country celebrates the festival of Raksha Bandhan, a celebration that symbolizes protection and care, I find it particularly important to emphasize the need for your immediate attention to this matter,” she said. PTI VT VT