Varnika Kundu has won the battle and the two stalkers who harassed her have been finally arrested. But the incident has exposed the male chauvinist mindset of Union Minister Babul Supriyo who is from an enlightened state like Bengal. He made light of the crime for which Haryana BJP Chief’s son was accused and arrested along with his associate. He questioned the validity of the kidnapping accusation made by Varnika. He also criticized the logic of highlighting the political credentials of the Haryana BJP Chief, Subhash Barala. He cannot be unaware of the political influence frequently exercised by leaders of all parties in such sordid cases. What is amazing is his jibe about the tragic act being comparable to the ‘boy chase girl’ habit among college students. The leader from Bengal in fact justified stalking and attempted abduction. He is close to movie circles and that may explain his comparison of the case to movie reels. It is really shocking. Such a mindset can pollute the administration and police. Women are hapless victims of sexual crimes and have to suffer the consequences.
Being a Union Minister, Babul Supriyo should know that stalking is a serious offence and that it is non-bailable. It is not a scene from film reels. It is the tragedy of real life in India. It is good that the Chandigarh police intervened in a timely manner and action was taken. Otherwise, Varnika would have been stigmatized. The finale of the sordid occurrence lends strength to the emphasis that the BJP leadership puts on women’s empowerment. How the BJP leadership would react to Supriyo’s unfeeling attitude remains to be seen.
