CPI-M student wing demands apology from CM Mamata Banerjee for comments on minor girl's rape case

Mamata Banerjee. File Pic

CPI-M student wing, SFI took out a rally in the city on Tuesday demanding unconditional apology by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "crass and insensitive comments" on the minor girl's rape and death in Hanskhali.

The rallyists assembled at the busy Moulali crossing after covering a distance of one km and entered into altercations with the police who asked them to clear the road.

They dispersed from the spot after half an hour, police said.

A spokesperson of the students body said, "Despite being a woman, the chief minister has made a crass and insensitive comment about a 14-year old girl who was subjected to brutal sexual assault leading to her death at Hanskhali in Nadia district. We demand that she offer unconditional apology in public to all women in the state for showing such disrespect to the girl".

The majority of the rallyists were girl students of different colleges and universities who held torches as dusk set in.

Banerjee on Monday expressed doubts about the cause of the minor girl's death, which her family attributed to gang rape, and said the minor and one of the arrested accused, the son of a local Trinamool Congress leader, were in love and wondered whether she was pregnant.

She had also wondered if the class nine student of Hanskhali in Nadia district died after a fall following a slap by someone.

"Will you call it rape or was she pregnant? Was it (the fallout of) a love affair? ... This is an unfortunate incident," Banerjee had said at a programme here.

She had also said that her family members and local people knew about the affair between the girl and the accused.

The girl had died on April 5 and the police was informed by her family on April 10.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had claimed that the Banerjee's comments were misconstrued and that she has taken all steps to bring to book those involved in the incident as the government and the party had zero tolerance to atrocities on women and would not shelter any accused if proven guilty.

TMC MP Mohua Moitra, who visited the girl's family at Hanskhali, on Tuesday said a case had been registered under POSCO Act in connection with the incident as even consensual sex with a minor is considered rape as per law and the ruling party will not shield anyone.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has sought an urgent report on the case from Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi latest by April 13 on the incident.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.