Mamata Banerjee's remark on Nadia gang rape irks NCW chief
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee drew criticism from the National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma for her recent comments on the Nadia gang rape case. The NCW chief termed Banerjee's comments as "unfortunate" and said she shouldn't have blamed the victim. Earlier on Monday, Banerjee cast doubt over whether the minor victim was raped or if she had a love affair.
- The Nadia gang rape case has sparked a political spat between the state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- The police suspect the involvement of a TMC leader's son in the case.
- The BJP has urged that the state be subjected to Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, which allows the Centre to intervene in any state's internal troubles.
Banerjee questioned the veracity of the case on Monday, asking if the victim was raped or had a love affair that resulted in a pregnancy. "The police are yet to ascertain the cause of the death," she said. "Even family knew it was a love affair. If a couple is in a relationship, how can I stop them?" she added.
"Her (Mamata Banerjee's) statement over the incident is very unfortunate," ANI quoted the NCW chief as saying on Tuesday "Being a woman, she should understand the pain of another woman. She pointed fingers at the victim. It was wrong," she added.
Last week, a minor girl in Hanskhali village of West Bengal's Nadia district died after allegedly being gang-raped at a birthday party. The victim's family claimed the prime accused is the son of a panchayat member from the ruling TMC, according to the police. They said he has been arrested for investigation and will be presented in a Ranaghat court.
"Our daughter was bleeding profusely and had severe abdominal pain after she came back from the party at the residence of the local TMC leader's son," the girl's mother was quoted as saying by PTI. "And before we could take her to hospital, she died," she said, adding that the family was sure that she was gang-raped by the accused and his friends.
The main accused in the case—identified as Brajagopal Gayali—was arrested on Sunday night. Officials said he was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and booked for rape, murder, and evidence suppression. Moreover, two PILs seeking judicial intervention in the matter were also filed in the Calcutta High Court. The matter is expected to be taken up on Tuesday.
The Calcutta High Court has already given permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the Nadia gang rape case. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar demanded an explanation from the state administration about the incident.
