Baruipur (West Bengal) [India], July 7 (ANI): West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul on Tuesday said the family of the minor girl allegedly raped and murdered in Baruipur is satisfied with the steps taken by the state government.
Speaking to the reporters, Paul said, “The entire family is satisfied with the actions of the government and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. All the people of the village are also satisfied with the actions. They have full faith in the government.”
She added that senior officials have been in constant touch with the family and said that the Chief Minister will visit Baruipur onto meet the victim’s family.
“The Chief Minister, IG, and SP have spoken with them over the phone many times. Today, the Chief Minister will also arrive here to meet the family,” she said.
The minor girl went missing on Saturday and was later found dead in a pond, with an alleged case of rape and murder triggering outrage and protests in the area. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has spoken to the girl’s father on the phone and reportedly assured capital punishment for the accused.
Earlier, the Baruipur Police District said two persons have been arrested in connection with the case and that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the incident. The investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, along with party workers and leaders, held a candlelight march on Monday condemning the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur.
TMC leaders have accused the state police of confining her to her residence and preventing her from visiting the victim’s family.
Further, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh launched a sharp attack on the Opposition over its protest following the alleged rape and murder.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh accused the Opposition leader of “staging drama” and questioned her track record on issues of crime and development.
“People have given her a chance to sit in the opposition. She’s such a popular leader who couldn’t win on her own. Now she’s out there staging drama on the streets. You are in the opposition. You know how to protest; you’ve done that your whole life. You don’t know anything about development. Thousands of rapes and murders have happened during her rule–have you ever seen her on the streets for those? Going to the home of any victim to offer condolences? No, you haven’t seen that,” he said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to communalise the alleged rape and murder of the minor, saying the victim’s religion was irrelevant and that the focus should remain on ensuring justice.
Speaking to ANI, Azad alleged that the BJP was trying to give the incident a communal colour instead of addressing the crime.
“They see a communal angle in everything. A girl has lost her life–whether she was Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian–she was raped. It took the government four days just to issue a statement on the rape. Contrast this with the rhetoric surrounding the RG Kar incident, where they promised action within seven days of the election–vowing to address the brutality inflicted upon ‘our daughter’ immediately after the government was formed. Two months have passed since then; the victim’s mother, who is a BJP MLA, Rekha Debnath, has stated that the government has done nothing in these two months,” Azad said.
The TMC MP further alleged that crimes against women continued unabated and criticised the BJP over law and order.
“Rapes are happening constantly. An incident involving a minor tribal girl occurred in my constituency, Durgapur; will they answer for that? Dozens of rapes are taking place. People are being killed, beaten, and subjected to horrific treatment inside police stations. This is West Bengal. They do not care about anything. The BJP simply does not believe in morality. Such actions will continue, and these incidents will keep surfacing. In the morning, they will simply trot out their usual rhetoric regarding Hinduism and Hindu-Muslim issues, attempting to sway public opinion. However, following the theft at the Ram Mandir, everyone has realised their true colours,” he said. (ANI)
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