Ruman Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; September 6, 2024)

Rituparna Sengupta, who tried to express her solidarity with the protestors seeking justice in the RG Kar incident, was heckled and manhandled on Wednesday. She narrowly escaped a mob that chanted ‘Go Back’ slogans, attacked her car and blocked her way at Shyambazar. The incident took place on the 26th day since the rape and murder of the junior doctor that has left the nation shook and Kolkata in turmoil.

MP Roopa Ganguly wrote: “I don’t support the way Rituparna Sengupta was heckled. Is this how you treat a woman at a rally for women’s safety?”

Actress Sudipta Chakraborty, who earlier returned her Special Film Award by the state government, took to social media to express her dismay. 

Composer Debojyoti Mishra, Bonnea Bose and National award-winning actress Ananya Chatterjee too condemned the humiliation. The latter wrote: “I strongly detest the insult. I’m requesting all to choose their battles as many will try to digress the topic”

Focus of the protest is getting diluted: Rituparna Sengupta
Speaking to CT about the incident that not just physically hurt her, but a few reporters too, Rituparna said, “Let us all be focussed on getting justice for the lady doctor.”

Expressing her shock at the way the justice movement may have been hijacked by unruly elements, the actress said: “Some people are looking at this protest movement as an event to attend. There were people drinking and using abusive language. The focus - which is seeking justice for the lady doctor and to pin down the criminals - is getting lost.”

She added, “I still can’t believe that people actually behaved like this during a candle march.”
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"I could have lost my life. I am an apolitical person and went there on humanitarian grounds to protest and to stand by the victim’s parents. And this is what I get in return."

"You have every right not to like me, but as a citizen I have my right to protest. As a woman I’m fighting for a woman’s justice, and you abuse me for that? I know people are agitated, and in pain. So am I. I’m protesting in my own way. But yesterday what I saw was complete hooliganism."
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I went there not as ‘anybody’ but ‘everybody’. You harass a woman who is there to stand by a woman? It is a people’s movement and please let’s not politicize anything
– Rituparna Sengupta
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Be it how Rituparna Sengupta was heckled on Wednesday or derogatory caricatures of Swastika (Mukherjee) among other incidents, all these are explicit demonstrations of rape culture in the name of protests against rap

 – Psychologist Anuttama Banerjee on social media