Kolkata horror: ‘Return our daughter,’ says victim’s family irked over Mamata's call for Pujo festivities

As India’s eastern state of West Bengal witnesses massive outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for “returning to (Durga) Pujo" hasn’t gone down well with the victim’s family.

CM Mamata said on Monday, “It has been a month (since the August 9 incident). I request you return to Pujo, return to the festivities and ask the CBI to ensure justice as soon as possible."

She also called on people not to continue their protests as they were ‘causing disturbance’ to people. "If you are out protesting on the roads every night, a lot of people get disturbed. Several areas have elderly people. If you use microphones, they have trouble sleeping. There are pollution control norms that you cannot use microphones after 10 pm. We have overlooked all this. It has been a month now," the CM said.

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The victim’s parents react

The remarks drew sharp criticism from the victim’s parents, who asked, “What about our festivities when we have lost our daughter?” “Let her return our daughter. Would she have said the same had this happened in her family?," the statement added.

Watch:Kolkata rape-murder case: 'Resignation should serve as a wake up call' - Jawhar Sircar

"We celebrated Durga Puja with our daughter, we will not celebrate Durga Puja or any other festival for years to come. Her remarks are insensitive," news agency PTI quoted the parents as saying.

Opposition condemns statement

Opposition parties, including the BJP and the CPM, also came down heavily on Mamata. BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in Bengal Assembly, asked the CM to stop treating people like her “puppets”.

"(Do you think) they will stand, sit, celebrate and stop protests when you ask them to? The Pujo fortnight has not started yet, the demon is yet to be slayed. Be patient, the Mother's power has awakened, it will cleanse Bengal," he said in a post on X.

CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty stated, "Her (Banerjee) only hope is that the mass protests will fizzle out and people will shift to a celebratory mood, overlooking safety and security concerns."

(With inputs from agencies)