Durgapur gangrape: 5 held; victim's father says WB under 'Aurangzeb's rule', Guv for 2nd renaissance
Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar (PTI): The alleged gang rape of a second-year medical student in West Bengal's Durgapur has sparked massive outrage, snowballing into a major political storm, with the survivor's father likening Bengal to "Aurangzeb's rule" and Governor C V Ananda Bose calling for a "second renaissance" to make the state safer for women.
The arrest of all five accused came amid growing political friction, as the ruling TMC, the opposition BJP, and even the government of the survivor's home state Odisha, sparred over the Mamata Banerjee administration's handling of the case and her remarks on women's safety.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) urged academic and institutional support for the survivor.
"With two more arrests this morning, all five accused have been taken into custody," said Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhary. "We are satisfied with the progress of the investigation and assure the parents that the culprits will not be spared."
The 23-year-old student from Balasore district was allegedly gang-raped near the private medical college in Durgapur on Friday night.
Police said five men attacked the woman and her male friend were attacked between 8 pm and 8.45 pm, snatched her phone when she tried to call for help, and took turns in raping her. The friend, who had fled the scene, is now under police detention for questioning.
Three of the accused arrested on October 12 were produced before the Durgapur Sub-Divisional Court and remanded to 10 days' police custody, while the two others, arrested on Monday, were sent to nine days' custody.
Meanwhile, the survivor's father said he had lost faith in West Bengal's law and order and wanted to take his daughter back to Odisha.
"She (CM) is also a woman. How can she (Mamata Banerjee) say such an irresponsible thing? Should women quit their jobs and sit at home? It seems Bengal is under the rule of Aurangzeb. I want to take my daughter back to Odisha. Her life comes first, her career later," he said.
His remarks came amid nationwide outrage over Banerjee's controversial statement that "female students should not step out late at night."
Banerjee had said, "I am shocked at what happened, but private medical colleges must take care of their girl students. They should not be allowed to go out at night." She later clarified that her statement was "distorted and taken out of context."
The remarks drew widespread condemnation from opposition parties, women's rights groups, and the Odisha government.
Banerjee's comment was "disappointing and insulting to all women", Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said.
"A woman leader like Mamata Banerjee, who is known as 'Didi' (elder sister) and a female chief minister, has disappointed women with her statement that girls should not go out at night. Her statement has surprised not only me but also the four crore ninety lakh women of West Bengal. Her statement has astonished and insulted all women," she said.
Governor Bose rushed to Durgapur on Monday to meet the survivor and her family.
Expressing anguish, he said, "This is a very shocking incident, and it's not the first time something like this has happened. I cannot say with confidence that Bengal is safe. Bengal once led the renaissance of India. Today, it needs a second renaissance to make the state safe for the girl child. We must own responsibility and ensure justice is done."
Adding to the controversy, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy remarked: "Such cases are rare in Bengal. Women's safety here is better than most places. But girls should not go out late at night; police cannot be on every road," Roy said, backing the CM's remark.
The NCW has also intervened, expressing "deep anguish" and urging both the National Medical Commission and university authorities to ensure the survivor's academic safety.
In an 11-point directive, the NCW recommended that the victim be allowed to take special examinations to avoid academic loss and be given the option to transfer to another medical college if she feels unsafe returning.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. The survivor must receive the best medical care, and a fast-track trial should ensure exemplary punishment," NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had said in the directive, which was shared by NCW member Archana Majumdar.
The panel also called for a security audit of the college, installation of CCTV cameras, and the setting up of a police outpost in the campus.
Meanwhile, the BJP began a six-day sit-in at Durgapur's City Centre, accusing the TMC government of "shielding perpetrators" and "destroying evidence."
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that one of the arrested men was linked to the ruling TMC and was employed on contract by the Durgapur Municipal Corporation.
"The father of one accused holds a TMC portfolio. This is a clear case of political shielding. The arrests are eyewash; they will be out on bail in 20 days. This is a cover-up," Adhikari claimed, alleging that the survivor's family was being denied access to medical reports.
TMC's IT cell head Debangshu Bhattacharya dismissed the charge, saying, "Even if someone related to the accused is in TMC, that doesn't implicate the party. With nearly 50 per cent vote share, it's statistically normal that some individuals involved in crimes may be our supporters."
The Odisha State Commission for Women Chairperson Sovana Mohanty travelled to Durgapur to meet the survivor and her parents.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Women’s Reservation Bill: K'taka CM accuses PM Modi of adopting 'double standard'
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a “double standard” on women’s reservation, alleging that the Centre had delayed implementation despite having the opportunity to act earlier.
Addressing reporters here, Siddaramaiah said the BJP and Modi had earlier opposed welfare guarantees and were now replicating them, while also questioning the timing and intent behind the women’s reservation move.
“That’s what I call double standards. Narendra Modi is not for social justice. If he was, this would have been done long ago. How many years has he been in power? It’s been 12 years. Why hasn’t it been done so far?” he asked.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the Congress had consistently supported women’s reservation and accused the Centre of "politicising" the issue.
“We spoke about women’s reservation. The Prime Minister asked me what our stand was. I said we are in favour of women’s reservation,” he said, referring to recent discussions with the PM.
He maintained that delimitation should only be carried out after a fresh Census to ensure equitable representation among states.
“In my view, delimitation should be done after a new census. That is why we opposed it. We have not opposed women’s reservation. We have always supported it,” he said.
Highlighting Congress’ past role, he said, “Who brought the 73rd and 74th amendments? Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party. Those amendments ensured 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. Why would we oppose it?”
Siddaramaiah further questioned the union government’s delay in implementation. “Narendra Modi indulged in politics and got it passed in 2023. Why didn’t he implement it immediately? Then why did he wait so long? He could have implemented it immediately. If he is committed to women’s reservation, he should have implemented it,” he said.
On the linkage between delimitation and reservation, he asked, “Why did the Centre link it with delimitation? Why did it go for a constitutional amendment?” adding that such a move could disadvantage southern states that have successfully controlled population growth.
“Southern states have controlled population well, but northern states haven’t. Naturally, it benefits them and disadvantages us,” he said.
Responding to BJP’s criticism that women would “teach Congress a lesson,” Siddaramaiah said, “They are doing politics. If Modi had brought this earlier, who would have opposed women’s reservation?”
On electoral prospects elsewhere, he said he had no direct information on Tamil Nadu but was optimistic about ruling DMK's victory.
"According to the information I have, DMK and its alliance are likely to win,” while asserting that Kerala would also be won by the opposition.
In a major setback to the BJP-led Central government, a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday, with the ruling dispensation asserting that the struggle to give the rights to women will continue.
While 298 members voted in support of the bill in Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-third majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
