Earlier this month, former Indian cricket captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly condemned the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. His comments, however, ignited controversy in various circles.
As public protests around the incident intensified, with celebrities joining the cause, Ganguly expressed his deep concern. Speaking on August 11 at an event in Kolkata, he said that as a father of a daughter, the incident had shaken him profoundly. He emphasized the need for strict action and the importance of security measures like CCTV cameras. However, Ganguly also remarked that such incidents should not lead to sweeping judgments about the safety of West Bengal or India as a whole, insisting that women are generally safe in the region.
His statement, particularly the part suggesting that West Bengal should not be judged based on a single incident, drew criticism on social media. In response to the backlash, Ganguly issued a clarification, stating that his earlier comments had been misinterpreted. He reiterated that the incident was horrifying and that the perpetrators should be punished severely to prevent future occurrences. Ganguly acknowledged the widespread protests, noting that such an outcry would be expected anywhere in the world in response to a similar tragedy.