West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday asked why the medical student in Durgapur who was allegedly gang-raped on October 10 went out of her hostel after midnight, The Indian Express reported.
The chief minister’s remarks sparked a sharp backlash, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing her of victim-blaming.
The second-year MBBS student at a private college in Durgapur was allegedly gang-raped near the campus after she went out with a male friend. The police have arrested three men and are searching for two others.
Addressing the media on Sunday, Banerjee questioned as to whose responsibility it was to ensure the safety of the students at the college.
“How did she come out at 12.30 am?,” The Indian Express quoted Banerjee as saying. “As far as I know, it happened in the jungle. I don’t know what happened at 12.30. The investigation is ongoing.”
The Trinamool Congress leader said that private colleges must strengthen security and supervision.
“Especially when it’s a girl student, she should not be allowed to go out at night,” she was quoted as saying. “We have zero tolerance here for such crimes.”
Banerjee also appealed to students from other states to avoid stepping out at night.
“See, it is everyone’s right to go out when and wherever they want, but it is also a fact that police cannot go and sit at everyone’s house,” The Indian Express quoted her saying. “They should protect themselves too.”
Later on Sunday, Banerjee claimed that her statement was being deliberately distorted and taken out of context.
Remarks reflect conservative mindset: BJP
The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that Banerjee was blaming the student who was allegedly gang-raped so as to cover administrative failures.
BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said in a social media post that a chief minister who asks women not to go out at night instead of ensuring their safety “has no moral right to stay in office”.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said Banerjee’s comments reflected the Trinamool Congress’s “conservative mindset”.
“She blames the rape survivor,” Swaraj told ANI. She noted that as Banerjee holds the home affairs portfolio in West Bengal, she holds responsibility for security.
Swaraj added: “She should create an environment where girls feel safe and can move freely day or night.”
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