On the horrific rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, India's President Droupadi Murmu expressed her first public statement that the incident has "dismayed and horrified" her and condemned that India needs to wake up to "perversion" of crime against women. People need to change their mindset of women being "less capable", "less powerful" or "less intelligent".
She mentioned, "Enough is enough. No civilized society can allow daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities" expressing anger over the crimes against women. She further added that it has been 12 years since the Nirbhaya case and in that period countless rapes have been forgotten, this "collective amnesia" is obnoxious.
President Murmu attributed the recent series of crimes against women to the objectification of women by a few, urging self-introspection to uncover the root causes. She urged the media to be fearless in reporting, stating that the Fourth Estate significantly shapes the country and society.
Murmu believes that India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is a positive step towards promoting meritocracy in sports. the International Olympic Committee will initiate the process after elections in 2026 or 2027.
The President's comments came as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee advocated for capital punishment for convicted rapists, despite criticism from the Supreme Court, civil society, and opposition parties. Banerjee announced an amendment to existing laws to ensure capital punishment.
