Kolkata, April 14 (PTI) Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy Thursday said that not a single incident of violence against women should occur in a state helmed by a woman chief minister and there should be zero tolerance against such incidents.
Roy said it is a “matter of shame” if even a single crime against women is reported in West Bengal headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Crimes against women are unacceptable. It is a matter of shame for all of us even if a single crime incident against women is reported in the state which is helmed by a woman chief minister. We should have zero tolerance of crime against women,” Roy said at a programme in North 24 Parganas district.
His comment comes days after minor girl died after being allegedly gangraped by the son of a ruling TMC panchayat leader at Hanskhali and the Calcutta High Court handed over the investigation into it to the CBI. The court had also ordered senior police officer Damayanti Sen to investigate four incidents of rape in the state.
TMC state general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on the other hand asserted that women are safe and secure in West Bengal under Banerjee’s leadership.
“I don’t want to comment on what he (Roy) has said. The women of the state are safe and secure in West Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. The chief minister herself directed the police to take stern action,” he said.
The opposition parties asked Roy to share this piece of “advice” with Banerjee instead of making statements in public.
“Whatever he has said is right. But he should say this to his party supremo Mamata Banerjee and ask her to stop the lawless situation in the state. Until and unless he does that, it seems his comments are an attempt to play to the gallery,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.
Echoing him, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury wondered whether Roy will also condemn the statements made by the chief minister.
“Roy has been saying many things that sound music to our ears. But will he condemn the statements made by the chief minister after the Hanskhali incident. He should first do that,” Chowdhury, also leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said.
Banerjee had on April 11 publicly expressed doubt over the cause of the minor girl’s death, which her family attributed to gang rape and had wondered if she died after being slapped by someone.
She had claimed that the victim was in a relationship with the accused and even if she was pregnant, a comment which was roundly criticised by opposition parties.
Senior CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty welcomed Roy’s statement but wondered whether he would say it to Banerjee.
“It seems he has realized that Bengal has earned a bad reputation for lawless situation in the state. But he should first ask the chief minister to establish the rule of law in the state,” he said.
The minor girl, a student of standard nine was allegedly raped on April 4 at a birthday party at the house of a TMC panchayat leader’s son at Hanskhali in Nadia district, according to a police complaint filed by her parents.
She bled to death hours later, the complaint said.
Two persons, including the TMC leader’s son, have been arrested so far in connection with the case. PTI PNT SUS KK KK KK
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