Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha member from Shiv Sena (UBT), announced on Monday that she has formally requested President Droupadi Murmu to expedite her approval of two bills addressing crimes against women and children. These bills were 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 in a post X.
In December 2021, the state assembly unanimously approved the (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, targeting crimes against women and children. The legislation mandates the death penalty for rape, enhances minimum punishments for acid attacks on women and sexual assaults on children, and stipulates a 30-day deadline for completing investigations from the date a complaint is registered.
“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.
Chaturvedi wrote, “The pain, fear, and anger felt by countless women are justified and underscore the urgent need to prioritize women’s safety and expedite access to justice. As a fellow woman, I am confident that you share this sentiment and recognize the critical need to translate our commitment to women’s safety into tangible action.”