West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the gang rape, assault and murder of a 19-year-old woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, as “barbaric and shameful”.
“Have no words to condemn the barbaric & shameful incident at Hathras involving a young Dalit girl. My deepest condolences to the family..,” Ms. Banerjee said on social media.
She also added, “More shameful is the forceful cremation without the family’s presence or consent, exposing those who use slogans & lofty promises for votes”.
Earlier, the Trinamool Congress leadership raised concerns over the crime. Party MP and president of party youth wing Abhishek Banerjee described the incident as an “unspeakable crime”.
“An unspeakable crime committed in #Hathras under @narendramodi ji’s reign & he was silent. The girl succumbed to her injuries, after battling to stay alive for 15 days & now, @Uppolice has utterly disrespected her remains! #ModiSpeakUp4Dalits if you have any humanity left inside,” Mr. Abhishek Banerjee tweeted on Wednesday.