Didi goes ballistic, warns of 'fire with fire'

Amid protests, Bengal says will change laws to include death penalty for rapists, accuses CBI of delaying probe

- SULAGNA SENGUPTA

WEST Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted on Wednesday that her government has zero tolerance for incidents of rape, saying that an amendment to the existing laws will be passed in the state assembly next week to ensure capital punishment for convicted rapists.

She accused the BJP of fomenting trouble in Bengal. Speaking at the foundation day event of the Trinamool youth wing, she said, "If Bengal is set on fire, Assam, Northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi will also be affected," the TMC chief warned.

Denouncing the BJP for calling a 12-hour general strike on Wednesday, Mamata said, "They called the bandh since they wanted political dividends over a dead body. The BJP is trying to exploit the emotions of ordinary people in the wake of the death of the young woman. They want to malign Bengal and plotted a conspiracy to derail the probe into her death."

The BJP accused Mamata of threatening opposition parties by abandoning her earlier slogan of 'badla noy, badal chai' (no revenge, only change) in response to alleged insults from the Opposition.