Mamata regime's silence emboldening rapists: Left Front

Observing that young girls were becoming "soft targets for rapists" in West Bengal, the Left Front Saturday accused the Mamata Banerjee regime of inaction in the wake of four instances of rape and murder in the state.

"Four students have been raped and murdered within a month. Young girls and students are increasingly becoming soft targets for the rapists in the state. Along with anti-socials, somehow the name of Trinamool Congress is also getting involved," Front chairman Biman Bose told journalists here.

Condemning the recent instances of gang-rape and murder, Bose alleged inaction on the part of the Trinamool Congress regime in the state.

"To end this horror, one has to admit it but unfortunately it is not being done. The government is not making any statement because it does not want to admit it. It is not only abstaining from making any statement but it is also not acting," said Bose adding that the indifference of the government was emboldening criminals.

A 20-year-old college student was gang-raped and murdered June 7 in Barasat in North 24 Parganas. A week later the mutilated and naked body of a 13-year-old girl was found in a field in Gaighata in the same district.

In Nadia district, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed by one of her neighbours and his associates in Nadia Monday. On Saturday a highly decomposed body of a minor girl was found in Murshidabad district and her family members alleging she was raped before being murdered.

The National Crime Records Bureau in its latest report has put West Bengal atop the chart concerning atrocities against women. According to the agency 30,942 incidents of crime against women were recorded in Bengal in 2012.

Former chief minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee too derided the Banerjee regime.

"This government thinks it can counter crime by announcing compensation. I am glad the family of Barasat victim has refused compensation and instead has sought exemplary punishment for the culprits. This should come as a lesson for the government," Bhattacharjee said Saturday.

Meanwhile the state government which has been contesting the NCRB report claimed women were "safest" in Bengal.

"Irrespective of what our (political) rivals are saying, the fact is women are safest in Bengal when compared to other states of the country," said Minister of State for Law Chandrima Bhattacharya.