President Murmu Condemns Violence Against Women Amid Protests Over Kolkata Doctor’s Murder

As the nation grapples with protests over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her deep distress and horror on Wednesday.

She emphasized that this crime is part of a troubling pattern of violence against women, stating, “No civilized society can permit such atrocities against its daughters and sisters.”

The President condemned the ongoing threat posed by criminals even as protests unfolded, calling for society to engage in “honest and unbiased self-introspection.”

She criticized the deeply ingrained mindset that views women as inferior, stressing the urgent need to dismantle these harmful attitudes. “We owe it to our daughters to remove the hurdles that prevent them from winning freedom from fear,” she declared.

Recalling a recent interaction with schoolchildren on Raksha Bandhan, President Murmu highlighted their innocent plea for assurance that incidents like the Nirbhaya case would not recur.

She urged the nation to confront its history of gender-based violence, warning against “collective amnesia” that allows such crimes to be forgotten.

“Countless similar tragedies have been overlooked, and as social protests fade, these heinous acts are buried in the recesses of social memory,” she remarked.

The President underscored the need for both state and society to challenge and change the mindset that continues to oppress women, stressing that this is a collective responsibility.