The Congress and NCP (SP) on Friday strongly condemned the recent rape of a woman inside a bus in Pune, and urged the government to implement the Shakti Bill, which includes provisions for the death penalty in cases of crimes against women and children.
Addressing the media, former home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh criticised the delay in implementing the bill. “The Shakti Bill, which enforces strict punishment for crimes against women, was introduced and passed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government four years ago. However, it is still awaiting approval from the central government,” he said.
Deshmukh said that when he was home minister, he had travelled to Andhra Pradesh with officials to study similar laws aimed at preventing crimes against women. He pointed out that both houses of the Maharashtra legislature had unanimously passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, during the MVA government’s tenure. However, there has been no further progress since then.
He also revealed alarming statistics, stating that over 1,500 cases of crimes against women had been reported in Maharashtra in the past two years. The NCP (SP) leader blamed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for failing to address the issue, arguing that since Fadnavis holds multiple portfolios, he has not been able to give the home department the attention it requires. “Maharashtra needs a full-time home minister,” Deshmukh said.
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar also lashed out at the ruling Mahayuti alliance for failing to get the bill implemented. “The President’s assent for the act has not been granted, and now the state government plans to withdraw the bill altogether. We demand that amendments be made and the bill be passed during the budget session starting March 3,” Wadettiwar said in Nagpur.
He also urged the chief minister to conduct a thorough review of crimes against women in the past 100 days, given his involvement in overseeing all departments.
