Insta
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee. (Wikimedia Commons)
Following in the footsteps of Rajasthan, the West Bengal government led by Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee is set to bring in a draft bill against lynching in the state's Assembly today (30 August), reports The New Indian Express.
The bill which has been titled, 'The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019' prescribes a maximum punishment of five years of life imprisonment and fines from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
In the bill, the act of lynching has been defined as “any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting or attempting an act of violence, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob (group of two or more individuals) on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or any other grounds.”
The bill also lays down that if anyone is found to be publishing, communicating or disseminating any offensive materials, either physically or electronically, the said person shall be liable to the punishment of a year of incarceration along with a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
The decision from the West Bengal administration comes at the backdrop of a series of mob lynching incidents having rocked the state in the recent past.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest