West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a poignant open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urgently demanding comprehensive reforms to address the escalating rape crisis in India.

According to a Kashmir Media Service report on Friday, the letter comes in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, an incident that has ignited widespread outrage and protests across the country.

In her letter, Banerjee highlighted the alarming frequency of rape cases, citing data that indicates nearly 90 such cases occur daily across India.

‘It is horrifying to see that almost 90 cases of rapes occur daily throughout the country. This shakes the confidence and conscience of the society and the nation. It is our bounden duty to put an end to it so that women feel safe and secure’, the letter reads.

Banerjee called for the implementation of stringent new laws that would impose severe penalties on those convicted of such grave offenses. She proposed the creation of Fast Track Special Courts to expedite legal proceedings, recommending that trials in rape cases be concluded within 15 days to ensure swift justice.

The urgency of the situation was further emphasized by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee, who took to social media to highlight the gravity of the issue. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Abhishek Banerjee revealed that in the ten days following the RG Kar Medical College incident, 900 rapes were reported across India amidst ongoing protests demanding justice.

Abhishek Banerjee wrote, ‘With 90 rapes occurring daily-4 every hour, and 1 every 15 minutes-the need for immediate and decisive action is undeniable. We require robust laws that ensure trials and convictions within 50 days, accompanied by the harshest punishments. Mere promises will not suffice.’