Mamata’s remark reflects gravity of gang-rape crisis in India: Analysts
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement following the gang-rape of a medical student in Durgapur has drawn strong criticism, with rights groups saying her remarks underscore the alarming state of women’s safety and the deep-rooted culture of victim-blaming across India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Banerjee, while reacting to the horrific incident, advised colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night, saying: “Private medical colleges should take care of their students, especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also.”
Her comment, made in response to the gang-rape of a second-year medical student from Odisha, has sparked outrage, with critics accusing her of shifting responsibility from the state to the victim. The BJP termed Banerjee a “blot on womanhood” and demanded her resignation, calling her statement “insensitive and regressive.”
The incident occurred in Durgapur when the victim stepped out with classmates to get food and was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by two or three men.
Though Banerjee later assured strict action against the culprits, her remarks advising restrictions on girls’ movement drew sharp backlash for reflecting a broader societal failure to address gender-based crimes.
Observers highlight the gravity of India’s worsening rape crisis — where survivors continue to face blame and stigma rather than justice and protection. Human rights defenders say such comments from political leaders trivialize the suffering of victims and normalize misogyny, further emboldening perpetrators.
They note that India’s recurring incidents of sexual assault — from Delhi to Kathua to Durgapur — expose a grim reality of systemic apathy, police negligence, and political hypocrisy, where women’s safety is sacrificed at the altar of optics and blame-shifting.
