Kolkata, April 14 (PTI) Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy Thursday said it is a “matter of shame” if crimes against women take place in a state where a woman is the chief minister and there should be zero tolerance against such incidents.
Not a single such incident should occur in a state helmed by a woman chief minister, he said.
His comment drew sharp reactions from within the ruling Trinamool Congress, which wondered whether having a male chief minister “justifies crime against women.” Roy, who was speaking at a programme in North 24 Parganas, said “Crimes against women are unacceptable. It is a matter of shame for all of us even if a single such 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”.
His comment comes days after a minor girl died after being allegedly gang raped by the son of a ruling TMC panchayat leader at Hanskhali and Calcutta High Court handed over the investigation into it to the CBI. The court has also directed that investigation into four recent rape cases in different parts of the state will be done under the supervision of senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen, who is at present a special commissioner of Kolkata Police.
Reacting to his comment, party MP Satabdi Roy said “I don’t think what Sougata Roy said is right. Does the chief minister want such incidents to occur? All we can say is that such incidents are shameful.
“What does he mean by women chief minister? Does having a male chief minister justify the crimes against women? The state government has taken all necessary action to control crime against women,” she said.
Echoing her, TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said that atrocities against women are shameful for the entire society.
“It is condemnable irrespective of having a women chief minister or a male chief minister,” he said.
Part state general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh 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 would 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 do that first,” Chowdhury, also the 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 had wondered whether she was pregnant, a comment which was roundly criticized 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 its lawless situation. 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 gang 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.
The girl’s father has claimed that the son of the panchayat leader had snatched his daughter’s body at gunpoint and cremated her. The girl’s parents have also alleged that they were threatened with dire consequences if they reported the incident to the police.
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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