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Mamata Banerjee in the line of fire as rape comment irks the people

West Bengal CM’s insensitive statement on the rape case of a minor girl draws people’s ire

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress has courted trouble over an insensitive statement, and is now at the receiving end of ridicule and criticism from various quarters. It all happened when Mamata’s comment on the rape case of a minor girl in Bengal’s Nadia district went overboard.

A look at Mamata Banerjee’s words would make it clear that the statement came as seriously insensitive. She had said: “It was a love affair and that’s confirmed as the family was aware of it. If a couple is in a relationship, can I stop it? This is not UP, we don’t do Love Jihad here. This is their personal freedom. But if there are any misdeeds, police will arrest the culprits. One suspect has been arrested already.”

Mamata comment on rape case insensitive

Once the statement went public, criticism started flowing in from all quarters. Many including celebrities lambasted the West Bengal Chief Minister for her words.

Senior BJP leader Amit Malaviya attacked Mamata stating that it was a “shocking statement by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who trivialises the brutal rape and murder of a 14 year old girl in Nadia’s Hanskhali. She questions the victim and asks if it was a love affair or a case of unplanned pregnancy gone awry! Because the accused is TMC leader’s son”.

Netizens took to social media space to lash out at the TMC chief and state Chief Minister for being so naïve. One Twitter user compared her statement with her remark on the 2012 Park Street rape case. The person said, “Mamata Banerjee taking 10 yrs challenge. In 2012, she had shamed Park Street rape victim & had called the incident fabricated. Her MPs had gone to even call her sex worker. Later, case was found true & all accused are in jail. In 2022, she is doing same with a minor rape victim. (sic)”

Meanwhile renowned filmmaker Srijit Mukherji called out Mamata Banerjee and posted on Facebook thus: “Unthinkably offensive and insensitive comment from the CM about the Hanshkhali Rape Case. Speechless and dumbfounded.”

Protests mount on social media

Many other are continuing to protest against Mamata’s statement n Facebook and Twitter. A Twitter user said that his respect for the Chief Minister has been decreasing every day. He tweeted: “A rape is a rape and there can be no justification for rape. Despite being a woman, you have hidden quite a few rape cases. You should know, women of this generation are not taking this very well.”

Mamata Banerjee seems to have overstepped with her insensitive comment. As protests and criticism mounts on social media handles and otherwise, it remains to be seen how the West Bengal CM would handle such attack. But then, whatever excuses she would make now would not help her from facing the ire of the people, who believe that she as Chief Minister and responsible leader and human being, should never have blurted out such irrational and insensitive comments.

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Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
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