Criticising the SCBA president for his wording, Dhankhar took issue with Sibal’s description of the horrific tragdy that shook the nation and his suggestion that such incidents are frequent.Sibal had reportedly referred to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata as symptomatic of a larger societal issue.
Taking to social media platform X, Sibal reacted to Dhankhar’s critiscm by highlighting rape statistics from 2017 to 2022, noting that West Bengal was not among the states with high numbers of such incidents. “Times of India (Report); Rapes (2017 to 2022). Out of 1,551 cases of rape/gangrape followed by murder. Uttar Pradesh reported maximum cases (280) followed by Madhya Pradesh (207), Assam (205), Maharashtra (155) and Karnataka (79). Dhankar ji: Seen this? Why West Bengal missing? No malaise?” Sibal wrote.
Earlier on Friday, without naming Sibal, Dhankhar had remarked at an event at Delhi University’s Bharti College, “I am appalled; I am pained and somewhat surprised that someone holding a position in the Supreme Court Bar, a Member of Parliament, acting in a manner and what does he say? A symptomatic malaise and suggested that such incidents are commonplace? What a shame! Words fail me in condemning such a stance. It is doing greatest injustice to the high position.”
At another event in Dehradun on Saturday, Dhankhar had said, “When humanity has been shamed, there are some stray voices, voices that cause concern. They only aggravate our excruciating pain. To put it mildly, they are adding salt to our injured conscience and what do they say ‘it is a symptomatic malaise, a frequent incident.”
“When it comes from someone who is a member of Parliament, a senior advocate, then the culpability is of an extreme degree. There can be no alibi for such kind of demonising thoughts. I call upon such misguided souls to revisit their thoughts and publicly tender an apology,” Dhankhar had said.