Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday lashed out at her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee for her comments following the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur. Gupta described Banerjee’s advice to female students — that they should avoid stepping out at night — as “deplorable” and symbolic of a “political downfall.”
Gupta’s sharp reaction came through a post on social media platform X, where she accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of failing to protect women and questioned the Chief Minister’s moral authority.
Rekha Gupta’s Attack On Mamata Banerjee: ‘Failed Administration’ And ‘Moral Decline’
In her Hindi post translated into English, Gupta wrote that instead of delivering justice to the rape survivor, the West Bengal government was “shamelessly questioning the very freedom and rights of women.” She added, “A state’s leader is expected to guarantee the safety and dignity of women, not impose a tyrannical restriction on their independence.”
Gupta further said that the statement made by Mamata Banerjee after the “heinous incident in Durgapur” showed the “height of political downfall.” She alleged that in Banerjee’s Bengal, “criminals protected by those in power roam freely, while the voices of victims seeking justice are ruthlessly suppressed.”
The Delhi Chief Minister also accused the TMC-led state government of presiding over a lawless regime. “West Bengal continues to rank among the top states in the country for heinous crimes against women, where shielding the guilty has become the hallmark of governance,” she said.
Drawing a cultural contrast, Gupta remarked, “This is the same Bengal where Goddess Durga and Kali are worshipped. Yet today, their daughters are being forced to live under the shadow of fear, injustice and lawlessness.”
Mamata Banerjee Says Remark
Banerjee’s controversial advice to college authorities came after a 23-year-old medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped in Durgapur on Friday night when she went out for dinner with a friend.
“She was studying in a private medical college. Whose responsibility is it? How did she come out at 12.30 at night? Students staying in hostels, especially those who have come to West Bengal to study from outside, are expected to follow the hostel rules. They should avoid venturing out late at night, although they have the fundamental right to go wherever they want,” Banerjee said while speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport after the incident, as quoted by PTI.
Facing a political storm over the remark, Banerjee later clarified, as reported by ANI, that her words were “deliberately distorted” and “taken out of context.”
The survivor remains under treatment at a hospital in Durgapur, while three suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
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