Amid the ongoing protest by junior doctors seeking justice after a 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, a TMC MLA recently got embroiled in a row after he stated that “women are going out to buy alcohol at night” in the name of protests.
A video of the leader’s speech has now gone viral on social media.
Speaking on the continued protests, amid an impasse between the protesting doctors and the state government run by the TMC, Swapan Debnath said that parents should ask their daughters “where they are going at night”.
The TMC MLA, who is also the state minister for animal resources development, was speaking at a public programme in Kalna of West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman on Monday.
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“Be it 11 pm or 2 am, women and girls are hitting the streets in protest,” he said, adding this was possible because of West Bengal’s “environment”, and that both CM Mamata Banerjee and the TMC at large “have demanded strict punishment for the culprit”, Indian Express reported.
“But I must also say: in my area, I have seen that at night, women buy alcohol. When I heard about it, I went to find out which hotel serves alcohol to women. I have told hotel owners that women cannot be served alcohol at night. This is also my duty. If women drink in hotels at night and something wrong happens — what then? Therefore we have to stand guard,” said the MLA.
“Just yesterday night (Sunday), I got information that a girl and two boys were drinking. I went there. It was 2 am then. I went and saw they were drinking beer. Their parents were called and asked at 2 am, “Do you know which night protest your daughter went to?” Police picked them up later. If in an inebriated condition, something happened to the girl, we would have been held responsible. Parents should know where their girls are going at night,” said Debnath, adding: “I am not here to insult anyone,” IE reported.
He also took a dig at protesters, saying that “I have seen them protesting on RG Kar issue” one day and “going abroad on holiday the next day”.
His remarks have stirred up a controversy but there has been no reaction from the Trinamool Congress so far.
Debnath’s remarks as thousands of people, including women, have been taking to the streets of Kolkata and districts in protests at night after the R G Kar rape and murder. Doctors have decided to carry out a cease work until the state government meets their demands.