Gang-Rape Survivor's Father Condemns Mamata Banerjee's Comments on Women's Safety in West Bengal

The controversy surrounding Mamata Banerjee's comments about female students leaving hostels at night has ignited significant backlash in West Bengal.

In Durgapur, the father of a 23-year-old MBBS student who was gang-raped near a medical college has expressed strong disapproval of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statements regarding women venturing outside college campuses during late hours.

During her address yesterday, the Chief Minister questioned how the student was able to exit the campus at 12:30 am, suggesting students need to "protect themselves" and noting that police cannot monitor everyone's whereabouts at all times. However, contradicting her claim, the official police complaint documents that the incident occurred around 8 pm, not after midnight as stated by the Chief Minister.

Expressing his dismay to NDTV, the survivor's father said, "She is also a woman. How can she say such an irresponsible thing?" He rhetorically asked if women should abandon their careers and remain confined to their homes.

Following public outrage over her comments, Banerjee has accused media outlets of misrepresenting her words, stating, "The media distorted my words. You ask me a question, I answer it, and then you distort it. Do not try this kind of politics."

The second-year student's father reported that her health condition is currently stable. He indicated plans to return with her to their home state of Odisha, explaining, "There is danger here. My daughter's life comes first, her career comes later."

Authorities have apprehended four individuals in connection with the gang-rape case: Sekh Reajuddin, Apu Bauri, Firdos Sekh, and SK Nasiruddin.

When questioned about his satisfaction with the police investigation, the student's father responded, "I request the cops to ensure strict punishment for the guilty so that they don't dare to repeat such a heinous act."

West Bengal police have expressed being "deeply saddened" by the incident and assured that the perpetrators will face consequences. They stated on social media platform X, "The pain of the victim is as much ours as it is Odisha's, and we shall leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to justice."

Previously, the student's father mentioned that Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi had contacted him. "The Odisha Chief Minister has spoken to me. The administration is helping us," he stated, adding that he has requested his daughter be granted admission to a medical college in Odisha.