New Delhi [India], June 30 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday hit out at the BJP after the party formed a probe committee into the alleged Kolkata gangrape case and said that while crimes against women must be strongly condemned and no government should overlook them, the BJP should also turn its attention to similar incidents reported from states governed by the party.
The Congress MP said that "What the BJP says and does are two different things," while referring to the proceedings in the Gujarat Bilkis Bano case.
"Whenever something happens in Bengal, the BJP shows a lot of interest. The attacks on women are condemnable, and we should not let any government ignore them. But the BJP should also focus on Odisha. There have been gangrapes there, and similar incidents against women are happening in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. What is their government doing in those places?" Tagore told ANI.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, Tagore said the party's response amounted to mere "lip service" aimed at publicity, and that there is often a stark contrast between what the BJP says and what it actually does.
The Congress MP attacked the BJP over the Bilkis Bano Case in which all 11 convicts in the case were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.
"The BJP's lip service may be for PR events, but we must understand that what the BJP says and what it does are two different things because in Gujarat, the BJP was the only party that welcomed a rapist with garlands and flowers," Tagore further said.
Reacting to the same, Congress leader Pawan Khera earlier said that problems are not solved by ignoring a rape in BJP ruled state and considering rape in non BJP ruled state as a bigger thing.
Speaking to ANI, Khera said, "Definitely it is a law and order issue. It's the issue pertaining to the way our society is, the way we raise male children. I mean, these are questions that governments alone can't address. But all of us need to address, put our heads together and discuss some solutions instead of saying rape in Hathras is fine to be ignored but a rape in Kolkata is a bigger thing. A rape in Odisha should be ignored because it's a BJP rule state but in Kathua not only rape should be ignored but a rapist should be celebrated. In Bilkis Bano case you garland those who raped her. This is not the way you solve problems."
The committee, formed on June 28, includes former Union Minister and ex-police officer, Mumbai, Satpal Singh; Meenakshi Lekhi, former Union Minister; Biplab Kumar Deb, Member of Lok Sabha; and Manan Kumar Mishra, Rajya Sabha Member.
The panel is tasked with visiting the incident site and submitting its probe report to Nadda.The party had strongly condemned the crime and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
On June 25, a female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area. The police have arrested four persons, including the main accused Manojit Mishra, and formed a five-member Special team to investigate the incident.
The police have arrested three persons, including the main accused, and a five-member Special team has been formed to investigate the incident.
The main accused, Manojit Mishra, and his accomplices, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, have been remanded to police custody till July 1.