Sharad Pawar pitches for West Bengal-like anti-rape bill in Maharashtra

Kolhapur: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday made a pitch for replicating in Maharashtra the bill passed by West Bengal assembly that seeks capital punishment for rape convicts.

Pawar also took a swipe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his reported remark that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never looted Surat, and said nobody should present wrong history to people.

The West Bengal assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024, the state anti-rape bill which seeks capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state. It was passed nearly a month after the alleged rape and murder of a post graduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"Maharashtra should consider replicating the bill passed by the West Bengal assembly. My party supports such a bill...There will be no legislature session in Maharashtra now since assembly polls will be held soon. We will highlight this point in our election campaign and mention it in the poll manifesto as well," Pawar said.

Former state home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh has been demanding the implementation of the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, passed in the legislature during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule, which is now pending for the President's assent.

The Shakti Bill provides for stringent punishment for crime against women and children.

Replying to a question about Fadnavis' remarks on Shivaji Maharaj, he said the point of contention was whether the Maratha warrior king looted Surat or not.

"Despite the fact, Fadnavis made a different statement, in which he indicated that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did not commit the act of looting (Surat). The deputy CM also alleged that the Congress spread wrong history about Shivaji Maharaj," the veteran politician said.

"It is the right of historians to present facts after years of research. Yesterday, (noted historian-author) Jaisinghrao Pawar said that not just once, but Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj carried out a mission to Surat twice. The intention to ride to Surat was different and it was explained by Jaisinghrao Pawar. Another historian Indrajit Sawant also echoed his opinion," he said.

"It means no one should present a wrong history before the people and the young generation," the NCP (SP) chief said.

On the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg district recently, Pawar said the sculptor given the responsibility of creating the structure had a limited experience in the field.

"He had never executed such a big work before and yet it was given to him. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attributed the incident to strong winds. But at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, a statue of Shivaji Maharaj was installed by the state's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan sixty years ago, and that statue is still standing strong," he said, adding that the reasons given for the incident were not convincing.

"Prima-facie, those who were given the work to build the statue had no experience. It was not appropriate to give such a big work to them and now after that incident, people having faith in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are restless," Pawar said.

Replying to questions, he said there was no need for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to announce a chief ministerial face.

"The decision can be made based on numbers after the poll results," he said.

The former Union minister said he wants the MVA to complete the seat-sharing process and start the election campaign at the earliest.

"MVA leaders should sit for talks from September 7 to 9," he said.

He said he expects the election process to get over by the second week of November.

Pawar said the MVA should include Peasants and Workers party (PWP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) as well.

"These parties have some pockets of influence in the state and they helped the MvA in the lok sabha elections," he said.

There was no need for the Shaktipeeth Expressway that proposes to connect Nagpur to Goa.

"Instead, the existing roads and highways should be upgraded," he said.