Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose lashed out at the state government, alleging that absence of timely action has led to rise in cases of rape.

Bose's comments came amid uproar over the alleged rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Jaynagar area in South 24 Parganas district.

"The cases of rape are increasing because of the absence of timely action. The inept handling of the rape and murder that took place in RG Kar Medical College, by the West Bengal government, is acting as a fillip to similar gruesome incidents getting repeated in the state. The West Bengal government should realise that a stitch in time saves nine," the governor told PTI on Saturday.

"Under the present government in Bengal, there seems to be no cure for violence. That’s queer," he said.

Bose further said that convincing and decisive action against the perpetrators on the part of the state government would help against heinous crimes.

"Otherwise, it will amount to encouraging rape and violence in the state. This does not bring credit to anybody down the line. It’s high time that the state government understood the eternal truth that prevention is better than cure," Bose added.

On Saturday locals torched a police outpost and vadalised vehicles after the body of the minor was found in Jaynagar.

Police said one person has been arrested in connection with the rape and murder incident.

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Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.

In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.

Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.

Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.

According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.

He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.

He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.

Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.

He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.

Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.

He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.