Women BJP legislators in West Bengal have returned the saris gifted to them by state chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the occasion of Durga Puja festival.
On Friday, a division bench of Calcutta High Court rejected the death penalty of three convicts in the 2013 rape and murder of a college girl at Kamduni in North 24 Parganas district, and acquitted one of them while sentencing the other two to life imprisonment.
Returning the saris, the BJP legislators argued that the verdict is a clear-example of “lackadaisical” probe carried out by the sleuths of Criminal Investigation Department in the matter and equally “slapdash arguments” by the public prosecutor at Calcutta High Court in the case.
State Municipal & Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim personally visited the room for BJP legislators in the assembly premises and handed over the saris on behalf of the chief minister.
The BJP legislators accepted the gift then. However, the pronouncement of the division bench’s verdict disappointed them and they returned the gifted sariss to the office of the minister.
Confirming the return of the gifts, fashion designer- turned- politician and BJP legislator from Asansol (South) constituency Agnimitra Paul said on Saturday that it is not possible for them to accept the gifts from the highest chair of state government which had “failed” to protect the dignity of the women.
“Hence we have decided to humbly return the gifts. After the tragic incident in 2013, the chief minister said the accused persons will receive exemplary punishment. And this is what has happened. All this is because of the lopsided probe in the matter and the chief minister cannot deny the responsibility in the matter,” Pal said.
The parents of the victim have already accused the public prosecutor of lackadaisical argument at the high court and has said that they will move the apex court. They also said that they will take the help of the lawyer who led the argument in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case in Delhi.
(This article has been published via a syndicated feed)
