Lucknow:

BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said incidents of crime against women were “extremely worrying”, and asked political parties to rise above party politics and take “strict steps” to prevent them.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and also cases of rape of girls in other parts of the country.

“The incidents of rape, murder and suicide, especially of innocent girls and women, happening in Bengal, Badlapur in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Kannauj, Agra and Farrukhabad districts of Uttar Pradesh are extremely sad and worrying,” the former chief minister said on X.

1. देश में कभी बंगाल, कभी महाराष्ट्र के बदलापुर, कभी बिहार में तो कभी यूपी के कन्नौज, आगरा व फर्रूखाबाद ज़िले आदि में भी मासूम बच्चियों नाबालिग़ व महिलाओं पर ख़ासकर रेप, हत्या व आत्महत्या आदि की हो रही घटनाएं अति-दुःखद व चिन्ताजनक। 1/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

“The Centre and all state governments should rise above party politics and take strict steps in this matter so that such incidents stop happening. Politics should not be done in its guise. This is the need of the hour and also in the interest of women,” she added.

2. केन्द्र व सभी राज्य सरकारें, इस मामले में दलगत राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर सख़्त कदम उठाएं, ताकि ऐसी घटनायें जल्दी होना बन्द हो, ना कि इसकी आड़ में राजनीति की जाए, यही समय की मांग है तथा यही महिलाओं के हित में भी है। 2/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Amid the growing clamour for the resignation of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP MP Raju Bista on Saturday lashed out at the TMC Chief over her protest in Kolkata against the rape and murder of a second-year trainee student at RG Kar medical college, stating that it was a mere “drama.”

BJP MP Raju Bista stated that the protest organized by the West Bengal Chief Minister was “laughable”.

“It seems that the West Bengal Health Minister is protesting against the Home Minister of West Bengal and the Home Minister is demanding justice from the Chief Minister,” Mr Bista said while criticizing the protest of Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

“Mamata didi’s ‘Mamata‘ is dead. Mothers and sisters are not safe in Bengal. Today the people of West Bengal are feeling ashamed due to this act. Bengal which used to be the pride of India for its culture, today Mamata Banerjee has put us all to shame,” he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said that the TMC Chief was doing “dramebaazi.”

“Mamata Banerjee is doing ‘dramabaazi‘ in Bengal like a film script… Instead of doing ‘dramabaazi‘, Mamata Banerjee should work for the security of the women there. She has police, she should use police to provide security instead of protesting,” Mr Chugh said.

Pointing out the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, BJP leader Anil K Antony on Friday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He alleged that atrocities against women are high in West Bengal despite the state being ruled by a woman chief minister.

“West Bengal is a state with a woman Chief Minister but when it comes to atrocities against women, West Bengal has become the state with one of the highest number of cases. In the last few months, we have seen what happened in Sandeshkhali, and now in Kolkata. There are allegations as well as proof coming out that the police have been trying to tamper with evidence and protect people involved in this kind of heinous incident,” Anil K Antony told ANI.

Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being responsible for the incident.

While addressing a rally on Friday, where she urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite the probe into the matter, Banerjee stated, “I know the vandalism at RG Kar was orchestrated by CPIM and BJP. Despite all this drama, the protest continues. I salute the protestors; I have nothing more to say; they have done the right thing.”

Criticising both CPIM and BJP, she continued, “There are skeletons scattered across Bengal. We all know this. All their grandstanding is meaningless. If they had shown genuine sympathy and compassion, I wouldn’t need to say anything. But now I will speak out… Who was responsible for the Bilkis Bano case? Who was behind the Unnao incident? Who was behind the Hathras incident? Just yesterday, in Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit woman was targeted. Who was responsible? In Manipur, women were paraded naked for a month and raped–under whose rule did that happen? Who tortured the wrestlers? Was there any justice? Instead, the perpetrator was promoted to MP, and his son was given a ticket. We are neither pawns nor kings. Nine governors were changed, but our ‘king’ remains the same. He can use all the big words he wants, but tell me, are women safe in BJP-ruled states? When something happens in Bengal, there is an investigation, but when it happens in your state, there is none.”

“…After midnight, we can see in the video CPIM members holding DYFI flags and BJP members holding the national flag. The national flag cannot be misused for politics. There is a code for the National Flag, and they should be punished; it is a criminal offence,” she added.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, triggering nationwide protests by doctors and medical professionals.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)