After Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, another senior party leader Saugata Roy on Thursday contradicted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement on a Hanskhali minor’s rape and death case.
Three-time MP from Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency, Roy indirectly contradicted the chief minister’s “minor incident” and “love-angle” connection to the rape of a minor girl, who died later, in Hanskhali of Nadia district.
While attending a public programme here, Roy said that with a woman chief minister even a single incident of crime against a single woman is simply unacceptable. “We are all worried about the incidents of women’s abuse. A zero- tolerance approach should be adopted in such cases. Even a single incident of women abuse is a matter of shame for a state with a women chief minister. This should not be tolerated and immediate action should be taken after such incidents. I am sure that police will look into the matter,” Roy said.
On April 12, Mahua Moitra said that “consensual sex with a minor, i.e., someone below 18 years of age, is rape as per the law and a crime”. She said this after visiting the residence of the minor victim and interacting with the members of her family.
“As a party MP, all I want to say is that I am totally against such incidents. I cannot speak of others. But I will not tolerate such things,” Moitra said.
As per the Prevention of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, even ‘consensual sex is considered rape if it involves a minor girl’.
Opposition party leaders from the BJP, CPI-M and Congress hailed Saugata Roy for being outspoken on this issue and said that Roy has spoken like a responsible parliamentarian. However, they also said that Roy should directly speak to the chief minister on this issue.
The chief minister had said, “What has happened is not right. I condemn it. The police have arrested the accused. But the opposition parties and a section of the media are trying to give a political twist to the entire event. I have received the news that there was a love affair between the accused and the victim. So why come to a conclusion before the investigation is completed.”