Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks on the Durgapur gang rape case, calling her statement "falsified" and accusing the state government of being "inefficient in the investigation".
The Union Minister said there were "inefficiencies in the investigation", and citing an earlier gangrape incident in the Kamduni village, added that the bail to the accused had encouraged the rapists.
On October 10, the second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped at night. The survivor is from Jaleswar, Odisha.
Speaking to mediapersons on the issue, Majumdar said, "Mamata Banerjee is issuing a falsified statement because the incident did not happen inside the campus...This is a total failure of administration...In 2011, when they came, the Park Street incident happened, and you can collect their (TMC leaders') statement from the library..."
"All these people got bail in the Kolkata High Court. That is the lack of efficiency in investigation, which is encouraging these rapists," he added.
Earlier on Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a shocking statement, advising colleges "not to allow girls to go outside at night" following an incident at a private medical college in Durgapur.
"I'm shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people," Mamata Banerjee said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Police had arrested two more accused in connection with the alleged gang rape incident and produced them in a court on Monday.
The Police have arrested five people so far in the case. On Sunday, the three accused initially arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape were remanded to 10 days' police custody by a local court.
A day earlier, a three-member team of the Odisha State Commission for Women, led by chairperson Sovana Mohanty, visited Durgapur and met the survivor's family.
The three-member team will submit a report to the Odisha government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment and the ongoing probe in the case."Odisha CM talked to the girl's father and the administration," the Odisha Women Commission chairperson said.
Senior Field Officer and Consultant for Odisha State Commission for Women, Bijiyani Singh, said that the three-member team may also meet police officers investigating the case and will try to ensure justice for the medical student.
The gangrape has sparked massive outrage, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to protect women, while the ruling TMC slammed the BJP for allegedly politicising the incident.
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