'There is outrage': PM speaks on women's safety amid Kolkata case protests

On Independence Day, PM Modi addressed the nation and spoke about the burning issue of women's safety and said that all stakeholders need to take it seriously

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the nation and spoke about the burning issue of women’s safety and the rising crime against women in India as he led the 78th Independence Day celebrations from the historic Red Fort.

Without naming any specific case, Modi said that there is an outrage in the country over the issue of women’s safety and that all stakeholders need to take it seriously.

Speaking about the atrocities committed against women, he said, “...There is an outrage in the country over this. I can feel it….Crimes against women must be probed as soon as possible and those who commit monstrous crimes should be punished as soon as possible….”

 

VIDEO | Independence Day 2024: "As a society, we need to think seriously about the atrocities being committed against our mothers, sisters and daughters. There is an outrage in the country over this. I can feel it. Country, society and state government need to take this… pic.twitter.com/P0zvCecemw

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2024

The PM said that this would help to build faith in the society. He also pointed out that while incidents like this receive significant media coverage initially, the attention often fades away by the time the culprit is held accountable.

“...there should be discussions about the convicts too, so that such criminals feel fear in their minds…,” he added.

Vandals assault doctors on RG Kar Medical College premises

The Kolkata rape-murder case took a wild turn on Wednesday night after unidentified miscreants entered the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the establishment where the trainee doctor was killed after being sexually assaulted last Friday. The vandals damaged parts of the medical facility and assaulted protesting doctors.

This incident coincides with large groups of women organising marches across West Bengal to "reclaim" nighttime spaces they consider unsafe for women.

The case initially believed to involve a single accused, Sanjoy Roy, may have had multiple perpetrators. The parents of the victim told the Kolkata HC that the victim’s autopsy revealed that 150 mg of semen was found in her body, which may be an indication that she was gang-raped, NDTV reported on Wednesday.