Another leader in Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has sparked off a controversy by mocking rape.
"Rapes were committed earlier, rapes are being committed now. As long as the world exists, there will be rapes," Deepak Haldar the Trinamool legislator from Diamond Harbour, said at a public meeting in his constituency on Wednesday evening.
He later tried to explain that he was quoted out of context and that his intent was to raise awareness.
Watch: As long as world exists, there will be rapes, says TMC MLA
"We do not support rape. It is not possible for chief minister Mamata Banerjee alone to solve this problem," he said.
Haldar is the second TMC leader in recent times to court controversy by trivialising rape. Parliamentarian Tapas Pal was caught on video in July threatening CPM workers that he would set his followers upon their women and rape them.
Read: Trinamool MP Tapas Pal threatens CPI(M) women supporters with rape
Reacting to Haldar's remark, Congress leader Manish Tewari said it was "extremely unfortunate" that such insensitive comments continued to be made.
"The fact is that public representatives need to be not only restrained in their utterances but more importantly need to play a positive role in creating a climate where there is safety for women," Tewari said.
Former NCW chief Mamta Sharma said, "The chief minister of Bengal being a woman herself and these recurrent derogatory remarks by TMC men is very unfortunate. The CM has never looked into such issues. These men should be suspended from the party. Mamata Banerjee should take some steps".
Ritubrata Banerjee of CPI(M) said the statements are in "the line with what is happening in TMC itself". "You cannot expect some action against these leaders,"she said.
Reacting to Haldar's remark, Congress leader Manish Tewari said it was "extremely unfortunate" that such insensitive comments continued to be made.
"The fact is that public representatives need to be not only restrained in their utterances but more importantly need to play a positive role in creating a climate where there is safety for women," Tewari said.
Former NCW chief Mamta Sharma said, "The chief minister of Bengal being a woman herself and these recurrent derogatory remarks by TMC men is very unfortunate. The CM has never looked into such issues. These men should be suspended from the party. Mamata Banerjee should take some steps".
Ritubrata Banerjee of CPI(M) said the statements are in "the line with what is happening in TMC itself". "You cannot expect some action against these leaders,"she said.