Kolkata law student gangrape: BJP demands Mamata Banerjee's resignation
New Delhi, June 28 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government over the alleged gangrape of a 24-year-old law student in Kolkata, accusing the state administration of shielding the accused, who reportedly have links to the ruling party's student wing.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the brutal incident had not only shaken the conscience of the nation but also exposed what he called 'the institutional complicity' in West Bengal. 'This is not a matter where we seek clarification. We are demanding accountability. Mamata Banerjee must apologise and step down,' Patra said, questioning the "silence and inaction" of the State Chief Minister.
He said, 'In a state governed by a woman Chief Minister, one would expect a stronger commitment to women's safety. But this level of cruelty and insensitivity is nothing short of terrifying.'
While citing a slew of recent past rape cases reported from the State, Patra also condemned Trinamool party leaders reportedly making statements that 'the incident occurred inside the law college and the state government has nothing to do with it".
Referring to the accused, Patra alleged that the primary suspect, Manojit Mishra, had previously held a position within the TMC's student wing. 'This is not just a case of sexual violence. The circumstances and the survivor's statement suggest it was a politically-enabled act of brutality,' he said, holding up the pictures of the primary accused with the TMC party's leaders.
According to police, the assault occurred on the evening of June 15 inside South Calcutta Law College, located in Kolkata's Kasba area. The survivor, a first-year law student, was allegedly pinned down by two men while the third assaulted her in a security guard's room, after evicting the guard.
Three accused—Manojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20)—were arrested within 24 hours of the complaint. On Saturday, police arrested the college's 55-year-old security guard, Pinaki Banerjee, for allegedly aiding the accused, bringing the total number of arrests to four.
The First Information Report (FIR) reveals harrowing details, a portion of which were shared by Patra to the reporters. The survivor, in her statement, said she was ambushed shortly after a meeting linked to the TMC's student wing. Identified by the initials 'M', 'J', and 'P', the men allegedly cornered her around 7:30 PM. 'I begged him to let me go… I told him I had a boyfriend, that I loved him. I even touched his feet,' the complaint reads. Despite her pleas, the FIR said, she was reportedly dragged into a security room, beaten with a hockey stick, and threatened with violence against her loved ones.
Hours after the ordeal, the survivor was released under threats to remain silent. Yet, she chose to speak up. 'Today, I've made up my mind. I want justice. As a law student, I now stand as a victim. And I want justice to be served,' she stated in her complaint.
In response to the incident, BJP President JP Nadda has constituted a four-member fact-finding team comprising former Union Ministers Satpal Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi, along with MPs Biplab Deb and Manan Mishra. The team will visit the site, meet stakeholders, and submit a report to the party's top leadership, said Patra.
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