Parents must introspect why teenagers hang out on beaches at night: Goa CM

TIL Desk/National/Panaji/ Following the horrific gangrape of two minors at a beach in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has caused outrage after he blamed parents for allowing their daughters to stay out so late at night. Amid pressure from Opposition over the heinous gang rape, Sawant remarked in the state Assembly that parents need to “introspect” instead of blaming the government and police.

“When 14-year-olds stay on the beach the whole night, the parents need to introspect. Just because children don’t listen, we cannot put the responsibility on the government and police,” Sawant had said on Wednesday, during a debate on a calling attention notice in the House. Sawant, who also holds the home portfolio, had said parents have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their children and hinted that they should not let their children, particularly minors, out at night.

The statement has provoked harsh responses from political leaders as well as general public on social media. Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi blasted Sawant on Twitter as “shameless”. Goa Congress spokesperson Altone D’Costa on Thursday said the law and order situation in the coastal state has deteriorated. “Why should we fear while moving around at night? Criminals should be in jail and law abiding citizens should be out freely moving around,” he said.