FIR against Dilip Ghosh for 'sexual remarks' against woman protestor
In yet another controversial statement, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party President Dilip Ghosh said that the woman protestor heckled by the party's supporters should "thank her stars." Ghosh said that the woman was "lucky" that "nothing else was done to her." The woman has now filed an FIR against Ghosh for his "sexual remarks." Here are more details.
'Our men did the right thing,' says Ghosh
Justifying the BJP supporters' behavior, Ghosh told reporters on Thursday, "Our men did the right thing. She should thank her stars that she was only heckled and nothing else was done to her." Ghosh added, "Why do [CAA protestors] always come to our rallies to protest? They can go to other events. We have tolerated a lot but now we won't tolerate such nuisance."
Woman verbally abused, had poster snatched at pro-CAA rally
Ghosh's remarks came the same day the incident occurred. The woman protestor held a 'No CAA, No NRC' poster at a pro-CAA rally from Kolkata's Patuli to Bagha Jatin. She also shouted slogans against the shooting at anti-CAA protestors at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia earlier on Thursday. Reportedly, BJP supporters snatched her poster and verbally abused her. She was then rescued by the police.
Reflects Ghosh's and BJP's perverted mindset: CPI(M) leader
According to PTI, after Ghosh's remark, the woman protestor —identified as Sudeshna Dutta Gupta— said she would continue her protests against the "fascist BJP." Senior CPI(M) leader Shamik Lahiri said Ghosh's comments "reflect both his and his party's sadistic and perverted mindset," adding that the BJP leader should refrain from making such statements. Senior Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty said Ghosh should "publicly apologize."
Complaint filed against Ghosh at Patuli police station
Gupta also filed a complaint against Ghosh at the Patuli police station in Kolkata on Friday, PTI reported. She said that Ghosh made "sexual remarks and showed murderous intent." "Every 22 minutes, a woman is raped in India. I'm not surprised by Ghosh's comment," she added. A senior police officer told the news agency that the matter was being looked into.
West Bengal is turning into Pakistan: Ghosh at another event
The same day, while addressing BJP workers at Gandhi Ghat (Barrackpore), Ghosh made other controversial statements. Ghosh said that there's no place for soft people in politics, adding, "You'll not be a leader if you don't go to jail, if police don't arrest you, then you must go there yourself." He also said that West Bengal is turning into Pakistan under Mamata Banerjee's leadership.
In recent times, Ghosh made several controversial statements
On Tuesday, Ghosh asked why protestors at the indefinite sit-in demonstration at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh "aren't dying." Earlier this month, he had said that "anti-CAA protestors who destroyed public property were shot like dogs in BJP-ruled states." The comments were made after the Uttar Pradesh Police allegedly used excessive force during anti-CAA protests, which killed almost two dozen across the state.
