Have no words to condemn barbaric, shameful incident, says CM Mamata
Siliguri: Slamming the BJP-run Uttar Pradesh government for the "barbaric and shameful" Hathras act, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said once Sita had to undergo "agnipariksha" and now the 19-year-old Dalit woman's body was put on funeral pyre keeping her family members locked in their house.
The Dalit teen was sexually assaulted by four men on September 14 and left without treatment for 15 days due to the alleged indifferent attitude of the police. The country witnessed a more "shameful" act when the police straightway cremated the body after locking up her family members in their home on Tuesday.
In an early-morning tweet on Thursday, Banerjee stated: "Have no words to condemn the barbaric and shameful incident at Hathras involving a young Dalit girl. My deepest condolences to the family."
Referring to the high-handedness of police in BJP-run Uttar Pradesh, she further stated: "More shameful is the forceful cremation without the family's presence or consent, exposing those who use slogans and lofty promises for votes."
While addressing a state government's programme at Phulbari in North Bengal on Thursday afternoon, Banerjee further added: "Just see the torture Dalits are facing. They are helplessly crying for some support."
Without naming the BJP, she said: "At the time of election they visit Dalits' houses to show off and have food, brought from outside, with people of the community and then torture on Dalits begin once the election is over."
"Sita Mata had to undergo 'agnipariksha'. Today not only the Dalit woman was raped, but she was put on the pyre keeping her family members in the dark," she said after criticising the role of the Uttar Pradesh government and the police by stating that cops must take immediate action if any crime has taken place. "In Bengal, we took all necessary action within 72 hours. But no action has been taken in connection with the (Hathras) incident," Banerjee said, adding: "What type of rule is going on (in Uttar Pradesh) as even a leader asked the police also to set the victim woman's mother on fire?"
"Like minorities, Dalits and tribals, people from general castes are also not spared in their (BJP's) rule," Banerjee said after slamming the party for not fulfilling any of the pre-poll assurances as neither promises made to Rajbangshis were fulfilled nor the seven tea gardens in North Bengal were reopened as they do not give value to their own words.
Banerjee's statement in regard to the 'barbaric' incident in Uttar Pradesh comes when BJP allegedly is leaving no stone unturned to defame Bengal in terms of the state's law and order situation. The Chief Minister had said on Wednesday that Bengal is the most peaceful state in the country and those who raise questions about the law and order situation must look at Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
The NCRB data shows that the country has witnessed a 7.3 percent increase in crime against women from 2018 to 2019.
Crimes against women in Uttar Pradesh are the highest with 59,853 cases, that is 14.7 percent of such cases in the country. Crimes against Scheduled Castes is also highest in UP in terms of absolute number, that is 11,829 cases which is 25.8 percent of the total cases across the country. A section of girl children was also not spared in BJP-run UP as it recorded the highest number of crimes under the POCSO Act with 7,444 cases and even the highest number of dowry cases which is 2,410.
In cases regarding crimes against Dalit women, UP comes second with 537 cases, after Rajasthan.
This comes when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is going all out for the development of the Dalit community, along with setting up the Dalit Sahitya Academy. She also gave a financial grant of Rs 5 crore for better functioning of the board to spread Dalit literature.
