West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, October 12, spoke out following the gang rape of a girl at a private medical college near hospital premises. She said that girls should exercise caution at night and stressed that the responsibility for safety lies with the private institutions. “Especially, a girl child at night-time shouldn’t be allowed to come outside. They have to protect themselves also,” she said, calling the incident “shocking.”
Banerjee affirmed that her government has zero tolerance for such crimes. She noted that three accused have already been arrested and the police are searching for others involved. “No one will be excused. Nobody will be spared,” she added, emphasizing strict action against the perpetrators.
The Chief Minister also questioned why her government is repeatedly singled out in such cases. Referring to a similar incident in Odisha’s Puri nearly a month ago, she asked what measures the Odisha government had taken, highlighting that rape incidents are a national concern, not confined to West Bengal.
