‘Police can’t be everywhere’: Another TMC leader justifies women’s restrictions post-Durgapur rape case

Kolkata: As the political storm intensifies over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's controversial comments on the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur, another senior leader from her party has made similar remarks, urging women not to go out late at night and stating that police cannot ensure safety "at every inch."

TMC MP Saugata Roy, while addressing the media on the incident, acknowledged that the police could only take action after a crime had occurred, and advised women to exercise caution while stepping out during late hours.

"Such cases are rare in Bengal. Women's safety in Bengal is better than in any other place... But women shouldn't leave their colleges so late at night, as the police can't patrol everywhere...," Roy said, speaking to ANI.

"Police cannot be present on every road; police can take action after an incident occurs... So, women should also be cautious," he added.

What happened in Durgapur?

The remarks come in the wake of a shocking case where a medical college student from Odisha was gang-raped outside her institute’s campus in Durgapur on Friday night. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, not just due to its brutality, but also because of the perceived insensitivity in the responses from top political leaders.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier courted controversy when she publicly questioned why the survivor was out at 12:30 am, a comment that many saw as victim-blaming.

Political backlash

The opposition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CPI(M), seized on the chief minister’s statement, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of deflecting blame onto the victim rather than ensuring justice and safety.

In an attempt at damage control, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh pushed back against the backlash, saying the chief minister’s statement was being misinterpreted.

“CM Mamata Banerjee never said that women should not go out at night. BJP and social media are distorting the statement,” Ghosh said.

He further added that the CM’s intent was to emphasize the need for better regulations in private educational institutions’ hostels, not to restrict women’s freedom.

“There should be regulations in the hostels of private educational institutions... It doesn't mean that one should not go out, or that the CM said that no woman should go out at night. She never said that...Police have made arrests, it is doing whatever needs to be done...,” he stated.