Kolkata: Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy stirred a hornets’ nest on Thursday by saying 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.
His comment come 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.
Roy said it is a “matter of shame” if even a single crime against women is reported in West Bengal helmed 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.
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.
—PTI

Press Trust of India