West Bengal minister and TMC MLA Swapan Debnath made controversial remarks about the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests against the RG Kar rape-murder incident. (Image: @SwapanDebnath98/X)
West Bengal minister Swapan Debnath said parents should ask their daughters “where they are going at night” and said he has asked hotels in his area not to serve alcohol to women
In a slew of inappropriate remarks made by Trinamool Congress leaders since after the RG Kar rape-murder incident in Kolkata, the latest to court controversy is West Bengal minister Swapan Debnath. He claimed that women are “going out to drink at night” in the name of protests and candlelight marches.
Debnath was seemingly taking a dig at the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests staged by women against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He said parents should ask their daughters “where they are going at night”.
Addressing a programme in Purba Bardhaman district’s Kalna, he said while he supports the doctors’ movement, the midnight protests staged by women were an excuse for them to drink alcohol at night. He added that the protests were possible because of the “good environment” promoted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while the ruling party has, at large, “demanded the strictest punishment for the culprit”.
“We support doctors’ movement. Women who are reclaiming night, they can do so as there is good environment,” he said. “Be it 11 pm or 2 am, women and girls are hitting the streets in protest.”
The minister, who is incharge of animal resources development, said in his area, however, women are buying alcohol at night. “When I heard about this, I went to find out which hotel serves alcohol to women and told the owners that women cannot be served alcohol at night. This is also my duty. If women drink in hotels at night and something wrong happens, what then? Therefore, we have to stand guard,” he said.
“The other night, it was raining. I got information that a girl and two boys were drinking beer in my area. Later, the police picked them. If something happened to her, then what? Why do parents not keep in mind where they are going? You do your movement, your candlelight march, but what is this?” he questioned.
He added: “I went there. It was 2 am then. Their parents were called and asked, ‘Do you know which night protest your daughter went to?’”
The rape-murder of the trainee medic at RG Kar hospital has triggered nationwide anger and sustained protests by junior doctors in Kolkata and other parts of the state. Days after her body was found inside a seminar hall at the medical institution, thousands of women held the first midnight protest on August 15. But, the protests were marred by the incident of vandalism at the premises of the RG Kar hospital.
