President Droupadi Murmu's remarks on the RG Kar doctor's rape and murder in her hard-hitting article, titled "Women's Safety: Enough is Enough," drew reactions from the Trinamool Congress as leaders questioned her silence on the similar incidents that took place in other states. Now, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has reacted to President Murmu feeling "dismayed, horrified, and outraged" by the Kolkata doctor's death, questioning her why she took special notice of Kolkata and remained silent when such incidents occurred in Gujarat. He also asked Prime Minister Modi to introduce a new law to deliver justice in cases of crimes against women and blamed garlanding rapists in Gujarat as a reason behind criminals' encouragement.
In an exclusive interaction with ABP News, Hakim, who is also the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister, said that Bengal knows how to respect women as it worships Durga. Blaming Gujarat for the prevailing situation in Bengal, Hakim said that even though the block is happening in Bengal, it is not the state's culture and is being "brought from Gujarat".
He said that the politics of hatred does not belong to Bengal but has instead been brought from outside. "If India is one, then how did Bengal become separate from it?" he asked. In an apparent reference to the Godhra gangrape convicts being garlanded upon their release from jail in 2022, he claimed such incidents in Gujarat, where "rapists are honoured," lead to an increase in such crimes as the criminals get encouraged.
'We Want PM To Bring New Law,' Says Kolkata Mayor
Stressing that the state government itself demanding capital punishment for the accused, the Kolkata Mayor said that it is the role of the courts to deliver justice, not the state. He further reiterated how CM Mamata Banerjee is seeking to bring in a new law under which no rapist will be pardoned.
Hakim also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not introducing a new law to ensure justice in such cases of atrocities against women. He said: "We want the PM to bring a new law. What are they waiting for? The Prime Minister is talking about the return of 'Ram' era, but people who are like 'Ravana' are growing everywhere."
Referring to the mounting attacks on the TMC-led government in Bengal after the outrage over the August 9 rape and murder of the trainee doctor, the Kolkata Mayor said that if anarchy is spread in Bengal and attempts are being made to harm the elected government in a state, it is bound to have an impact on other states as well.
He further supported Bengal government's stance on the incident by mentioning how Supreme Court said that the RG Kar case is not just Bengal's problem but the problem of the entire country. Hakim also underlined that Bengal government doesn't believe in the politics of force and is waiting for the court to deliver justice. Commenting on how Mamata Banerjee's protest rally was questioned earlier this month, Hakim asked, "If we (state) has to protest against the CBI where would it be done. We would do it in our state, so why are our protests being questioned?"
Declaring that "enough is enough", Murmu shared her first reaction to the RG Kar doctor rape and murder case. She wrote in the exclusive article for PTI, "It is time for India to wake up to the perversion of crimes against women and counter the mindset that sees women as less powerful, less capable, less intelligent.Those who share such views then go further and see the female as an object. We owe it to our daughters to remove the hurdles from their path of winning the freedom from fear."