Independence Day 2024: On Independence Day 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly referred to the horrific rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata while addressing the nation from the Red Fort. It was his eleventh consecutive speech when PM Modi called for stringent measures against those committing “monstrous deeds” and the requirement of severe punishment to deter such crimes.
PM Modi Addresses Nation on Independence Day
PM Modi said, “I would like to express my pain once again, from the Red Fort today. As a society, we will have to think seriously about the atrocities against women that are happening – there is outrage against this in the country. I can feel this outrage. The country, society, and state governments will have to take this seriously. Speedy investigation of crimes against women, those executing these monstrous deeds need to be awarded strict punishment at the earliest – this is important to instill confidence in society.”
“I would also like to say that when rapes and incidents of atrocities on women occur, it is widely discussed. But when a person of such a monstrous tendency is punished, it is not seen in the news, but restricted to a corner. It is the need of the hour, that extensive discussion on those receiving punishment be held so that those committing this sin understand that this leads to hanging. I think it is very important to instill this fear,” he added, per ANI.
Government Urged to Take Crimes Against Women Seriously
While PM Modi did not refer to the recent Kolkata case, he said state governments must take crimes against women very seriously. Extensive discussions on sentencing should be held and criminals must know such heinous acts could invite the death penalty, he added.
The shocking incident in Kolkata was that of a young doctor who was brutally assaulted and killed inside the hospital where she worked. The act of crime was committed last week in which the doctor was raped and beaten to death. Her body was found next day by her colleagues. According to the post-mortem report she received severe injuries- a deep gash in genital area, smashed throat cartilage, and bleeding from multiple parts of her body. The case has been handed over to the CBI for investigation.
PM Modi’s call for stricter penalties underlines a broader drive for better protection and justice to women in the backdrop of rising violence amid an increasing clamor for accountability. The Prime Minister’s comments have come against the backdrop of continuing national concerns over women’s safety and the need for stringent legal measures to prevent and deal with such heinous crimes.