E-Paper
‘Tragic, disrespectful’: Rajnath Singh's sharp reaction to Kolkata doctor rape-murder, slams CM Mamata Banerjee
Rajnath Singh described the rape and murder of the Kolkata doctor as “heart-wrenching” and called the incident “tragic and disrespectful.”
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday slammed the West Bengal government and chief minister Mamata Banerjee over their handling of the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital saying that “a lot remains to be done” in light of the ongoing atrocities and crimes against women in the country. He pointed out that while the Centre has taken strict action, several states are “not making serious efforts” in this regard.
Speaking at an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Rajnath Singh described the rape and murder of the Kolkata doctor as “heart-wrenching” and called the incident “tragic and disrespectful.”
“Considering the atrocities and crimes against women in the country, despite all the changes, it seems that a lot remains to be done. Our government has adopted a strict attitude towards crimes against women, but many states are not making sincere efforts in this direction. The recent heart-wrenching incident in Kolkata is very tragic and disgraceful,” Rajanth Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
He further stated that the Centre has amended the law to provide for capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape and suggested that this law should be implemented with strictness.
This came as it has been over the 20 days and still the case of rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital still unsolved.
Protests in Kolkata
A series of rallies and demonstrations are planned for Friday in protest of the recent rape-murder of a doctor. Political parties and civil society organisations are preparing to take to the streets.
The BJP has been intensifying its pressure on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, with even her opposition allies from the INDIA bloc showing divided responses. The Bengal Congress and the Left have taken to the streets against the Trinamool government, while other INDIA bloc partners remain cautious in their support for the embattled Trinamool chief.
The Congress and the Left, key rivals of the TMC in West Bengal, have organised street protests against the state government. Congress, led by state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, held a rally from College Square to Shyambazar in north Kolkata, near RG Kar Hospital.
The BJP will continue its sit-in protest at Esplanade for a second day on Friday, as part of a week-long series of demonstrations demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation and justice for the victim.
Meanwhile, the TMC plans to stage protests at colleges across Bengal, urging the Centre to enact a law mandating capital punishment for rapists, with sit-ins planned at every block on August 31.
