West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee courted controversy on Tuesday once again, describing the alleged February 25 rape in Katwa (in Burdwan district) as concocted and a conspiracy against her government.
Earlier this month, she had made similar allegations about the February 5 Park Street rape and had to eat her words after the Kolkata Police arrested the accused youths who admitted to their crime.
“The Katwa incident is made up by political parties. Who says that rape happened? Did you find any evidence?” she said at the Writers’ Building on Tuesday while briefing the media about the countrywide trade union strike.
While Banerjee denied one incident, a teenage handicapped patient was allegedly raped by a junior doctor at a government hospital in Bankura district, prompting hospital authorities to order a probe.
The 19-year-old girl was found lying naked in an unconscious state in the medicine department of Bankura Sammilani Medical College where she was admitted after she complained of chest pains last night.
On February 25, a middle-aged woman was allegedly gangraped by dacoits, who had attacked the Ahmedpur-Katwa train the woman was traveling in.
{{/usCountry}}On February 25, a middle-aged woman was allegedly gangraped by dacoits, who had attacked the Ahmedpur-Katwa train the woman was traveling in.
{{/usCountry}}“The woman said her husband is a CPI(M) supporter. If such an incident really happened, the culprits will be punished. But if you make up stories to malign the state government, those liars, too, would be punished,” said Banerjee.
The CM’s remarks attracted scathing criticism from all quarters, including the CPI(M) leadership. “The woman’s husband died 11 years ago. I do not know from where she gets her information,” said Surjya Kanta Mishra, leader of the opposition.