Carrying lanterns, the protesters walked around the commission's office premises, pretending to search for its chairperson, Leena Gangopadhyay. They alleged that the organisation was "missing in action" during crucial times when intervention was needed
Junior lawyers and law college students protest against the gang rape, on Tuesday. PIC/PTI
In a symbolic protest against over the "silence and inaction" of the West Bengal Commission for Women in the Kolkata law college student gang rape case, BJP Yuva Morcha supporters on Wednesday staged a mock search for its chairperson outside the commission's office in Salt Lake.
Carrying lanterns, the protesters walked around the premises, pretending to search for the commission's chairperson, Leena Gangopadhyay. They alleged that the organisation was "missing in action" during crucial times when intervention was needed, reported PTI.
"We are looking for the state women's commission chairperson because we did not see any visible response from them, and we are also unable to locate them after this heinous crime," a protester stated.
Meanwhile, reacting to the criticism, Gangopadhyay strongly refuted the charges, describing them as "politically motivated".
"I am genuinely unaware why this is being called a late reaction," she said, asserting that the commission had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident as soon as it surfaced.
She further explained that efforts were made to contact the survivor and her parents on the very day the matter came to light, but they were preoccupied with medical procedures.
"We called and sent a text message to the survivor's father, but the family was busy as she was undergoing tests and travelling for examinations," Gangopadhyay elaborated.
The commission, she added, was in contact with the police "from the very beginning" and engaged with senior officials, including the Director General of Police, PTI reported.
"The Deputy Commissioner followed up with us multiple times," she stated. Furthermore, a team from the commission, including the chairperson, a legal consultant, a counsellor, and other members, visited the survivor at their home to offer support and ensure the case was handled sensitively.
"We wanted to ensure the girl received trauma counselling before she spoke," said Gangopadhyay, who is also a producer and director. She further added that the commission also issued specific recommendations regarding the survivor's counselling, safety, and return to college. The National Women Commission had also taken cognisance of the matter, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday criticised Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sukanta Majumdar over his condemnation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in connection with the alleged gang rape of a law student in Kolkata.
Imran Masood termed the incident "tragic" but questioned the BJP's silence on similar incidents in other states governed by them, asserting that there was "no point" in politicising such sensitive matters, reported ANI.
"It is a tragic incident, but such incidents are happening everywhere in the country. Such incidents are also occurring in BJP-ruled states. Why is the BJP not focusing there?...There is no point in doing any politics," Imran Masood told reporters.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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