NEW DELHI: Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday expressed deep concern over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, describing the incident as a “painful” event that has shaken the conscience of the nation.
Dhankhar also criticized certain “stray voices“, especially from politicians, for trivialising the incident.
“When humanity is shamed, there are some voices that raise concerns. They only aggravate our excruciating pain. To put it mildly, they sprinkle salt on our wounded conscience and say, 'It is a symptomatic evil, a common occurrence'… When it comes from someone who is a Member of Parliament, a senior lawyer, then the guilt is extreme. There can be no alibi for such demonising thoughts. I request such misguided souls to reconsider their thoughts and issue a public apology. This is not an occasion when you should look through a political prism. This political prism is dangerous, it kills your objectivity. It requires a search within,” the Vice President said at an event on Sunday.
The remarks were directed at senior advocate Kapil Sibal, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, who is also representing the Mamata Banerjee government in the sensitive rape and murder case. Sibal is said to have used the term “symptomatic malaise” in a Bar Association resolution.
Dhankhar also criticised certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for their silence on the issue, saying that their lack of response is more damaging than the actions of the perpetrators themselves. He criticised those who engage in political manoeuvres while neglecting the moral obligation to speak out against such atrocities, saying, “Their silence is far worse than the culpable action of the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”
“Some NGOs are out on the streets to report an incident or a hat, but they remain silent. We need to question them. Their silence is much worse than the culpable act of the perpetrators of this heinous crime of August 9. Those who want to play politics and profile themselves and constantly write letters to each other are not responding to the call of their conscience,” Dhankhar said.
The vice president's remarks reflect growing public outrage over the incident, which sparked widespread protests and calls for stricter measures to ensure the safety of women in India.
Dhankhar also criticized certain “stray voices“, especially from politicians, for trivialising the incident.
“When humanity is shamed, there are some voices that raise concerns. They only aggravate our excruciating pain. To put it mildly, they sprinkle salt on our wounded conscience and say, 'It is a symptomatic evil, a common occurrence'… When it comes from someone who is a Member of Parliament, a senior lawyer, then the guilt is extreme. There can be no alibi for such demonising thoughts. I request such misguided souls to reconsider their thoughts and issue a public apology. This is not an occasion when you should look through a political prism. This political prism is dangerous, it kills your objectivity. It requires a search within,” the Vice President said at an event on Sunday.
The remarks were directed at senior advocate Kapil Sibal, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, who is also representing the Mamata Banerjee government in the sensitive rape and murder case. Sibal is said to have used the term “symptomatic malaise” in a Bar Association resolution.
Dhankhar also criticised certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for their silence on the issue, saying that their lack of response is more damaging than the actions of the perpetrators themselves. He criticised those who engage in political manoeuvres while neglecting the moral obligation to speak out against such atrocities, saying, “Their silence is far worse than the culpable action of the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”
“Some NGOs are out on the streets to report an incident or a hat, but they remain silent. We need to question them. Their silence is much worse than the culpable act of the perpetrators of this heinous crime of August 9. Those who want to play politics and profile themselves and constantly write letters to each other are not responding to the call of their conscience,” Dhankhar said.
The vice president's remarks reflect growing public outrage over the incident, which sparked widespread protests and calls for stricter measures to ensure the safety of women in India.
