'Bengal Women Protesting in Drugged State, Will Become Victims of Violence': Dilip Ghosh Stirs Fresh Row

Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said it is unfortunate that a section of women are committing indecent acts like making video with expletive-filled Tagore songs and some others are chanting provocative slogans at street protests "after consuming drugs."

Ghosh, who was attending a tea session with local people in Golf Green area, said, "It is a matter of deep concern how some of the young women are becoming unforgetful about self-respect, dignity, culture, ethos and committing indecent acts in video."

Alluding to the anti-CAA slogans in the city, Ghosh said "women are being drugged to sit in the front row of street protests and chanting provocative slogans throughout the day. We must introspect where the society is heading."

Packing more expletives, Ghosh said, "The state's cultural traditions are getting ruined. Women are forgetting our cultural heritage. They are being made to become the face of protests under the influence of drugs. They shout all through the day. What kind of a Bengal is this? If these women behave in this way, how will the common people behave with them? They will become victims of violence."

He added, "all of us, guardians, authorities in colleges, schools, Education minister should think about this decadence in society."

West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim described Ghosh's comments as "uncivilised and barbaric."

He said Ghosh has chosen March 8, International Women's day, to "insult" all the women of the state. "He has picked up a stray incident to show disrespect to all women of Bengal," Hakim said. Ghosh was asked to comment on the twin incidents of circulation of images of young women in sarees posing with cuss words written with colours on their bodies to parody a famous Rabindranath Tagore song at the Spring festival of Rabindra Bharati University.

A video of four girls of a reputed school in Malda, singing a crude parody of the same timeless composition of Tagore also surfaced on social media triggering criticism from various quarters.