Kolkata, April 26 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said nominating Swapna Debnath, the mother of the R.G. Kar Medical College doctor who was raped and murdered on hospital premises in August 2024, as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Panihati demonstrates the party’s commitment to women’s safety in West Bengal. Modi made the remarks at a campaign rally in Thakurnagar, North 24 Parganas district.
Swapna Debnath is contesting the Panihati Assembly seat, which includes the ancestral home of the victim. Modi linked her nomination to the BJP’s efforts to stand with victims and their families during the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections.
Addressing the crowd, Modi accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of presiding over a “jungle rule” that has left “mothers and sisters” vulnerable, and said the anger of affected women was reflected in the high voter turnout in the first phase of polling on April 23. He accused local “goons” of torturing women in areas such as Sandeshkhali and said they had the backing of the Trinamool Congress.
Modi charged that girls have been going missing daily since the current state regime took office and contrasted the BJP’s stance with the ruling party, saying, “Trinamool Congress does care about women. But the BJP is committed to women’s safety.” He also recalled the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, noting the party had earlier fielded a woman from Sandeshkhali who protested atrocities against women there, and argued that giving a ticket to the victim’s mother now reinforces that commitment.
Beyond safety, Modi outlined promises the BJP would deliver if it forms the next West Bengal government. He said the new administration would aim to ensure women from financially backward backgrounds can earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually, facilitate affordable bank loans to start small businesses, and provide a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 (totaling Rs 36,000 a year). He also pledged to reserve 33 percent of state government jobs for women.
Modi took aim at Trinamool leaders who mocked him for taking a break to eat jhalmuri during campaigning, saying the reaction showed discomfort with the creativity of Bengali youth. “The reels and videos of Bengali youth are being praised on social media nationally,” he said, adding that the BJP would help make content creation a strength for Bengal.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/national-news/making-rg-kar-victims-mother-candidate-proves-bjps-commitment-towards-womens-safety-says-pm-modi/
Category: National News
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Publish Date: 2026-04-26 15:44:00
