Kolkata, Oct 12 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has voiced strong disapproval of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she remarked that girls should refrain from venturing out at night, in response to the gang-rape incident of a medical student in Durgapur.

Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, stated that Chief Minister Banerjee ought to resign following her shocking comments about women.

He emphasized, "Given her position at the highest levels of administration, directly overseeing the Home Department and serving as her own Police Minister, her remarks are utterly unacceptable and disgraceful!" Majumdar conveyed in a post on X.

"The Chief Minister cannot deflect responsibility for the severe breakdown of law and order in West Bengal. Alarmingly, she has chosen to place blame on the private medical college! This is despite a young woman doctor being brutally raped and murdered in a government medical college hospital just months prior," he added.

The former State BJP President further remarked, "As Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee's statement is not only an affront to every woman in Bengal but also raises serious concerns. Such comments from a woman Chief Minister highlight that law and order has completely deteriorated under her governance. It is now Mamata Banerjee's ethical obligation to resign immediately."

Addressing the gang-rape incident involving a medical student in Durgapur, Chief Minister Banerjee asserted that women should not be permitted to travel at night.

She claimed that the Trinamool Congress-led state government has embraced a zero-tolerance stance against horrific crimes like rape and urged the police to take decisive action against the perpetrators.

Later, while engaging with the press, CM Banerjee remarked, "This is a private college. Just three weeks ago, three girls were assaulted on a beach in Odisha. What measures are being taken by the Odisha government?... The victim was enrolled in a private medical college. How could she be out at 12:30 a.m.? The incident apparently occurred in a forested area. I am unaware of the details. The investigation is ongoing. I am appalled by the incident, but private medical colleges must also ensure the safety of their students, particularly the female students."

She emphasized that women should take precautions.

"Girls should not go outside (college) at night. They need to safeguard themselves. There is a forested area. The police are investigating everyone. No one will escape punishment. Three arrests have already been made. We will enact strict measures. Such occurrences in other states are also condemnable. Similar incidents have taken place in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha; we believe the government must implement stringent actions there as well. In our state (West Bengal), we charge-sheeted individuals within one to two months, and the lower court ordered the execution of the accused."

The Chief Minister's controversial remarks have faced widespread backlash from political figures.

State BJP President Samik Bhattacharya condemned Chief Minister Banerjee for her "insensitive" remarks, stating, "Following the horrific gang-rape incident in Durgapur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's assertion that women should not leave their homes after dark is not only thoughtless but also profoundly derogatory. The Chief Minister has utterly failed in ensuring the safety of women in the state. Now she is shifting blame onto women to mask administrative shortcomings, which exemplifies 'victim blaming'."

The BJP leader added, "While the women of the state look to the government for safety and justice, the Chief Minister is advising them to remain indoors, which is intolerable in a civil society. This statement reflects that the Trinamool government bears no responsibility for women’s safety. It is disgraceful that a Chief Minister with such a mindset is leading the state."

Senior CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty emphasized that it is the state government's duty to ensure the safety of women outside medical college campuses.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has practically acknowledged that there is no law and order in the state as her government cannot guarantee the security of women at night. During the Left Front government, women could navigate the streets at night without fear. However, her (Mamata Banerjee's) administration has reversed this trend since assuming power. There is no safety for women both within and outside medical institutions. The incident of a woman trainee doctor being raped inside R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital mirrors the current incident outside a medical college. She (Mamata Banerjee) cannot obscure her failures as the Chief Minister of the state," Chakraborty concluded.