“Strictest Punishment For Crimes Against Women”: PM Amid Kolkata Protests

In a veiled attack on the Mamata Banerjee government over the rape and murder of a doctor at a Kolkata hospital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he feels the outrage in society over atrocities against women and state governments need to take this seriously.

Addressing the nation on Independence Day, the Prime Minister said that the country is witnessing leadership by women in several fields, including Air Force, Army, Navy and the space sector. “But there are some worrisome developments too. I want to express my pain from the Red Fort today. As a society, we need to think seriously.”

“There is public outrage over atrocities against our mothers and sisters. I feel this outrage. The country, the society, our state governments need to take this seriously. Crimes against women must be probed as soon as possible, those involved in demonic acts must face strict punishment at the earliest, this is necessary to create faith in society,” the Prime Minister said, apparently referring to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The Prime Minister then said that when incidents of violence against women take place, there is a lot of discussion in the media. “But when such perverted people get punishment, it is not seen prominently in news. Time demands that there is widespread discussion on punishments too so that criminals are scared. It is important to create this fear,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks come amid national outrage over the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder. The investigation has been transferred to the CBI after the Calcutta High Court noted that the city police had made no significant progress in investigation and that there is a possibility of the tampering of evidence.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose government is drawing fire over the chilling incident, has said the state government will support the central agency in its investigation, but slammed the Opposition for protests to “defame” Bengal.

“A coordinated approach has been executed by the BJP and CPM, with support from the Centre, to defame Bengal and exploit the situation,” Ms Banerjee said. “They are taking cues from student unrest in Bangladesh and are attempting to capture power similarly. But they won’t succeed,” she said.