West Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister and senior TMC leader Swapan Debnath, has stirred controversy by urging the parents of the girls going out for the ‘Reclaim the Night’ movement to be more vigilant of what their daughters are doing, citing an alleged incident of a protestor consuming liquor during such an agitation.
“Your daughter went for a protest demanding safety for other women. But monitor what she is doing outside after midnight,” PTI quoted the minister as saying in an alleged viarl video. The minister was addressing a gathering against the RG Kar rape and murder case in Purba Bardhaman.
The Minister, citing the incident, said anyone will hold the state government responsible if any untoward incident happens, but the safety of women is everyone’s responsibility.
“Any untoward incident will make the state accountable. We are certainly responsible for the safety of women. But those out there also have a responsibility,” the minister said.
In the alleged viral video, the MLA was heard as saying that during a recent ‘Reclaim the night’ movement in his area Purbasthali, a woman and two men were seen drinking beer at a hotel.
“What if something untoward would have happened to the woman? Our men had kept vigil at that time. But if they were not around? My words for parents — your daughter had gone to join a protest. That’s fine. But later, she was seen consuming liquor. We informed you (parents) to take her home, we also asked the police to ensure she is safe,” the minister said.
The minister said he has requested the hotel owners in his area not to sell liquor to women after midnight.
“I have told hotel 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,” the MLA added.
Meanwhile, the ruling TMC has sought to distance itself from the remarks made by the minister.
TMC senior leader Kunal Ghosh said the party does not endorse such remarks.
“We cannot dictate any individual’s behaviour, man or woman. Whether she should have drinks or not or where she will go. We are not into moral policing,” he said.
“But the underlying note of concern for the safety of a woman, which is apparent in the comment of Swapan Debnath, should not be overlooked at the same time. It is another matter whether he should have expressed his views in such a manner in the first place,” Ghosh said.
It is important to note that the ‘Reclaim the night’ movement, held in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was first organised on August 14 across West Bengal and repeated on three more occasions with participation of thousands of women.
