‘As long as the earth exists, there will be rape,’ TMC MLA sparks controversy

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MLA Deepak Haldar put his foot solidly in his mouth Thursday with his 'very sensitive' comments on rape.

The TMC leader said, "There was rape earlier, there is rape today. As long as the earth exists, there will be rape.”

Deepak Haldar is a Trinamool legislator from Diamond Harbour, who made the comments at a public meeting in his constituency on Wednesday evening. He later tried to explain that his intention was only to raise awareness.

"Please let the journalists not take these comments out of context. Why did I say this? We don't support rape... I said this because it is a social evil. It is not possible for Mamata Banerjee alone to solve it. It is not possible for me or anyone of us alone... all of you must take a collective decision and where such incidents happen, you must protest," clarified Haldar.

Earlier, TMC leader Tapas Pal had commented, "If the CPM people touch a hair on the head of my workers, I will set loose my boys on their women to rape them."

Read: Will ask our boys to rape CPM leaders’ wives, sisters: TMC leader Tapas Pal

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too was under-fire for his remark describing the 2012 Delhi gangrape as a "small incident of rape".

Read: Arun Jaitley terms Delhi rape 'small incident that cost billions in tourism'

Reacting to Haldar's remark, Congress leader Manish Tewari said it was "extremely unfortunate" that such insensitive comments continued to be made.

"The fact is that public representatives need to be not only restrained in their utterances but more importantly need to play a positive role in creating a climate where there is safety for women," Tewari said.

Former NCW chief Mamta Sharma said, "The Chief Minister of Bengal being a woman herself and these recurrent derogatory remarks by TMC men is very unfortunate. The CM has never looked into such issues. These men should be suspended from the party. Mamata Banerjee should take some steps".