The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formed a committee to investigate the alleged gang rape of a law student in Kolkata, criticizing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for what they describe as "state-sponsored brutality". The incident has ignited a political firestorm in West Bengal, with the BJP accusing the TMC of fostering a culture of impunity and the TMC retaliating by blaming the BJP for delaying the passage of an anti-rape bill.
The alleged gang rape occurred on June 25 at South Calcutta Law College. The victim, a 24-year-old law student, reported that she was sexually assaulted inside the college premises. Following the complaint, police arrested three individuals: Manojit Mishra, a former student and practicing lawyer; Zaib Ahmed, a first-year student; and Pramit Mukherjee, also a current student. A security guard was later arrested for negligence, bringing the total number of arrests to four. The accused have been remanded to police custody until July 1 for further investigation. The victim alleged that the accused filmed the assault and threatened to upload the footage online if she spoke about the incident.
The BJP has strongly condemned the incident, alleging that the main accused, Manojit Mishra, has close ties to the TMC. BJP leaders have shared photos of Mishra with senior TMC figures, including MP Abhishek Banerjee and state Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. The BJP's IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, claimed that West Bengal has become a "nightmare for women" under Mamata Banerjee's rule and accused the TMC of providing "political protection for rapists". BJP State president Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the main accused was an active student leader of Trinamool Congress and had associations with top ruling party leaders. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister on the rape case and called for state-wide protests. BJP president J.P. Nadda has formed a four-member committee to investigate the incident.
The TMC has denied any links to the accused and condemned the incident. TMC leaders emphasized their commitment to justice for the victim and women's empowerment. TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar stated that the guilty should receive the strictest punishment and that police are investigating the matter. The TMC also criticized the central government for not supporting anti-rape legislation and pointedly blamed the BJP for "delaying" the passage of the 'Aparajita' anti-rape bill. Trinankur Bhattacharya, State president of the Trinamool student wing, said that they are not denying their past association with the accused but that does not define the party and its stand.
However, a TMC MP, Kalyan Banerjee, sparked outrage with his response to the incident, questioning, "What can be done if a friend rapes his friend?". He also said that those who are roaming around with "such people should understand whom they are accompanying" and urged women to be cautious of those with “dirty mindsets". These remarks have been widely condemned as insensitive and dismissive of the severity of the crime. BJP leader Bharati Ghosh has condemned the remarks and questioned the security measures in educational institutions.
The case has triggered protests across Kolkata, with left-backed student organizations and BJP and Congress supporters taking to the streets. Protesters clashed with police, and several were detained. The incident has also brought back memories of a similar rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata that occurred nearly a year prior, raising concerns about women's safety in the state. The father of the RG Kar victim expressed anger over the repeated crimes and blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led state government.
The political blame game continues, with both the BJP and TMC trading accusations and attempting to capitalize on the outrage surrounding the case. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of the incident.
