New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday said President Droupadi Murmu's remarks on crimes against women reflect the gravity of the issue and it's time to rise above party politics and ensure that justice is done in such cases.
The BJP's reaction came after Murmu, in an exclusive signed article for PTI, spoke out for the first time on the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata and expressed her anguish at continuing crimes against women.
Declaring that "enough is enough", she said it is time for India to wake up to the "perversion" of crimes against women and counter the mindset that sees women as "less powerful, less capable, less intelligent".
"The gravity and depth of the issue can be understood from the statement of the president. The president is the first citizen of the country," BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told a press conference at the party headquarters here.
"After this, allegations and counter-allegations and party politics should end, and how justice can be done in such incidents, how such tendencies can be curbed in future, should be taken into consideration," he added in response to a question.
The issue of crimes against women is back in focus with a nationwide outcry over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata recently.
Daily life was partially affected in West Bengal on Wednesday too due to a 12-hour shutdown called by the BJP in protest against the police action against demonstrators during a protest march to the state secretariat on Tuesday.
"It doesn't delight us to say that the bandh (shutdown) was a phenomenal success. But it's painful to see that the West Bengal government is not paying any heed to the public outcry and anger expressed through the bandh," Trivedi said.
The BJP leader dismissed as a "sad attempt" at cover-up the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement in Kolkata that existing laws will be amended next week to ensure that convicted rapists are given the capital punishment.
"She is now talking about capital punishment (for rape convicts) to deflect the public attention," he charged.
"Mamata Banerjee should tell people what is the conviction rate in cases of rape registered in West Bengal. In how many cases of rape, capital punishment was awarded to convicts?...Mamata Banerjee should tell if she is bringing a law to punish those who destroyed the evidence (in the RG Kar case)," the BJP leader added.
On the chief minister's appeal to the agitating junior doctors of the state to consider returning to duty, Trivedi alleged that Banerjee "indirectly" tried to intimidate them in her appeal by saying that her government "doesn't want to file FIRs against them and spoil their careers".
"We condemn the chief minister's mindset," he said, accusing Banerjee of running a "dictatorial" government in West Bengal.