She Feels No Pain: Odisha WC Chief Slams Mamata
Mohanty said Banerjee “does not feel the pain” of the victim and urged her to focus on women’s safety in West Bengal
Bhubaneswar: Sovana Mohanty, Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women, has criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remark that “girls should not be allowed to go out at night,” made after the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur.
Ahead of the commission’s visit to Durgapur on Monday to meet the survivor’s family, Mohanty said Banerjee “does not feel the pain” of the victim and urged her to focus on women’s safety in West Bengal.
“Let her speak. She does not feel the pain. We will hold counselling with the medical student. It is incorrect to say ‘Women should not go out at night.’ You should assure women (of safety),” Mohanty told ANI.
Mamata Banerjee had earlier said colleges should not allow girls to go outside at night following the incident. “I’m shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also,” Banerjee said.
The survivor, a second-year student of a private medical college in Durgapur and a native of Odisha, was allegedly gangraped.
A three-member team from the Odisha State Commission for Women has travelled to Durgapur to inquire into the case. Mohanty said the team would meet the survivor and her family, assess her health, and review the ongoing investigation before submitting a report to the Odisha government.
“We will check on her health and meet her parents. We will submit our recommendations to the State government after inquiring about West Bengal’s medical treatment, her mental health, and whether a proper investigation is being conducted,” Mohanty said.
Senior Field Officer Bijiyani Singh added that the team may also meet investigating police officers. “We will ensure that she gets proper medical treatment and justice. No one is above the law,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar also criticised Banerjee’s statement, calling it “absurd” and urging her to focus on law and order.
Majumdar said women are excelling in every field and should not be restricted. “How can we say that in the evening, a girl should stay locked in a room? Women are working in hospitals, IT, and sports. It is the Chief Minister’s responsibility to make laws that protect women, not to confine them,” she said.