A disturbing gangrape incident involving a second-year medical student in Durgapur, West Bengal, has ignited a fierce political debate. The opposition BJP has strongly criticized the ruling TMC government, citing a decline in law and order, and specifically targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s controversial statement suggesting that women should refrain from going out late at night.
Banerjee’s remarks, made in the context of the incident, stated, “I’m shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people.” This statement has been met with widespread outrage.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar condemned Banerjee’s comments, questioning if she intended for all women to wear burqas and remain indoors. He drew parallels with a previous incident where a college had advised against night shifts for women, highlighting a perceived pattern of holding women responsible for their safety rather than ensuring it.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) also weighed in, with member Archana Majumdar calling Banerjee’s statement “absurd.” Majumdar emphasized that women are active participants in all sectors of society and have achieved great success, from sports to space exploration, making such advice regressive.
Similarly, BJP West Bengal Secretary Priyanka Tibrewal labeled Banerjee’s comments as “insensitive” and accused her of victim-shaming. Tibrewal argued that the focus should be on apprehending perpetrators, not on blaming the victims for their circumstances.
BJP MP Shankar Lalwani also condemned the incident, pointing to a general lack of law and order in the state.
In response to the backlash, Mamata Banerjee accused the media of distorting her words, stating, “The media distorted my words. You ask me a question, I answer it, and then you distort it. Do not try this kind of politics.”
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with the Durgapur gangrape case, who have since been presented in court.