In the wake of the attack on doctors and harassment of model Ushoshi Sengupta by some members of their community, a group of prominent Muslims has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking for stringent action against the culprits to dispel the "perception" that they are being "shielded or appeased".
"We have been deeply concerned with two events that occurred recently...The attackers in both instances were members of our community...We are grieved and embarrassed," they wrote in the letter.
"Bring the assailants to book not just in these two instances but in every single instance where Muslims are involved. They should not be allowed to get away because they happen to be Muslims (as is the growing perception). This will send out a message that members of one community are not being shielded or appeased (as most people believe)," the 46 prominent Muslim residents of Kolkata added.
They also requested the state government to "engage or encourage engagements with Muslim youth and their families across Kolkata in gender-sensitisation, civic consciousness and law-compliance, etc."