Sougata Mukhopadhyay,CNN-IBN
Jul 03, 2014 at 05:46pm IST

Kolkata: President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijeet Mukherjee has defended Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal over his rape for revenge remark saying that he should be forgiven as he has tendered an apology. “Tapas has written an apology letter. I feel since he has apologised and his party has pardoned him, the debate should not be dragged any further,” he said.

“At times such slips of tongue happen although it shouldn’t happen. Many of us have made similar mistakes in the past. I hope such things don’t get repeated in future,” Mukherjee said adding that it’s a controversial issue and should be avoided.

With reports that a delegation of CPM leaders will be meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker to submit a memorandum seeking Tapas Pal’s dismissal, Mukherjee said his MP status can only be cancelled by the Speaker, but if that is the case, “then many MPs should have already lost their jobs.”

Abhijit had himself faced similar protests over his remarks ‘dented and painted’ women after the December 16, 2012 horrific rape and murder incident in Delhi.

Demands for his resignation have surfaced after a video of Tapas Pal surfaced where he said he will send his boys to rape women of the Opposition. Following his apology, TMC had said there was no no need for any further action against Tapas Pal.

State Congress president and former union minister Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “shamelessly shielding her proteges”.

 

Read more here – http://ibnlive.in.com/news/slip-of-tongue-happens-tapas-pal-should-be-forgiven-presidents-son/483486-3-231.html