Kolkata rape-murder case: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar condemns incident, calls for strong punishment

Jagdeep Dhankhar

Describing the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital as a "painful" incident, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on August 30 called for a deterrent ecosystem to punish the perpetrators for such crimes.

Referring to President Droupadi Murmu's exclusive article for PTI — her first statement on the incident — Dhankhar reiterated her expression, "Enough is enough." Murmu's hard-hitting and personalised article, titled "Women's Safety: Enough is Enough", was the first time the president articulated her views on the August 9 Kolkata incident that has once again shaken the conscience of the nation and led to widespread, continuing protests.

The vice president, who was also the Governor of West Bengal during July 30, 2019 to July 17, 2022, was addressing students at Delhi University's Bharti College during an event. His tenure as the Governor had been marked with tumultuous relationship with the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"It is unfortunate to see the kind of fear girls and women have in their minds because of such incidents. President Murmu is a tribal woman herself. She has seen the ground reality. She rightly expressed in a media note that enough is enough for crime against women," Dhankhar said.

Referring to the 2012 Delhi gang rape incident, he added that the repeated incidents call for a strong ecosystem to punish the culprits and instil fear in their minds.

Dhankhar slammed those justifying the rape incident by calling it a regular occurrence, saying he is appalled by their thought process.

Dhankhar also slammed "anti-national" narratives against India and called it the biggest challenge in the development of the country.

He urged students to keep the national interest above political and ideological differences.

(With PTI inputs)