Should Bengal Adopt Uttar Pradesh's Approach to Rape Accused?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Suvendu Adhikari advocates for strict measures against rape.
- The recent gang-rape incident highlights ongoing issues of violence against women.
- Criticism directed at Mamata Banerjee for her silence.
- The BJP is mobilizing for protests against violence.
- The need for systemic changes in handling such cases.
Kolkata, Oct 11 (NationPress) The West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) and prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) figure Suvendu Adhikari emphasized on Saturday that the state ought to emulate the effective strategies from Uttar Pradesh in dealing with rape offenders decisively.
This strong statement from the BJP leader followed an alarming incident where a second-year medical student from Odisha was reportedly gang-raped outside a private medical college and hospital in West Burdwan district's Durgapur on Friday evening.
During a press briefing, LoP Adhikari asserted, "The perpetrators should not remain in custody for an extended period. They must face swift justice. Encounters should only occur post-arrest of those charged with serious crimes such as rape."
He added that mere arrests are insufficient in addressing issues of rape and violence against women.
"We must implement proactive measures like those of Chief Ministers — Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, and N. Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh," LoP Adhikari stated.
As per police reports, the medical student had left the college grounds with a male companion for dinner when a group of young men on motorcycles began to harass them. The men allegedly chased away the male friend, forcibly took the woman to a secluded area, and gang-raped her, as per police accounts.
Additionally, the assailants stole the woman's mobile phone and discarded it. The police have opened a case based on the complaint filed by the victim.
The male friend of the victim is currently detained for questioning by the authorities.
LoP Adhikari also criticized Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her silence regarding the incident.
Demanding a statement from CM Banerjee about the rape case, the BJP MLA from Nandigram remarked, "Such incidents are recurring. The Chief Minister addresses various issues, yet remains silent on these heinous acts occurring in the state. Since the Kasba rape incident, she has not commented on the violence against women. Why is she silent?"
He further mentioned that the BJP plans to organize a larger movement to protest against violence towards women in the region.