In a shocking statement made by President Pranab Mukherjee’s son, Abhijit Mukherjee, who has referred to the women protesting in Delhi and “Dented and painted women”, causing a huge national outcry. Abhijit Mukherjee a Congree sitting MP from Jangipur, West Bengal made a controversial statement today saying, “Women who are participating in candle-light vigils and those who are protesting have no connection with ground reality. These pretty ladies coming out to protest are ‘highly dented and painted’,” he said in an interview to the ABP news channel in Bengal. “I have my doubts…how many of these women are students…women in these age groups are generally no longer students.” His statement has caused great anger among the public who think the government are not doing enough about women’s safety following the brutal gang rape of a medical student in the capital last week.
Abhijit’s sister and President Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishta has expressed over her brother’s statement and has apologized on his behalf saying “I don’t know in what context my brother said that, it’s highly insensitive. I’m embarrassed”. These statements made my Abhijit Mukherjee have created a huge storm among protestors and are bound to embarrass his father. However after being repeatedly questioned by the media about his statement, Abhijit Mukherjee has apologized saying he did not intent to insult any woman by his statement.
What is more disturbing than this statement is the callous attitude of those in power and those responsible to a great extent to make our city safe. Here is a city on fire, a city whose citizens are fighting for and demanding something as basic as a woman’s right to walk down the street alone without the fear of being assaulted. Is that too much to ask? And as much as I try not to be cynical and bitter, instances like these make me wonder, is this country in good hands?
