West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress on Saturday distanced itself from remarks made on the Kolkata gang-rape case by Madan Mitra and Kalyan Banerjee, both of whom are members of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
With the BJP capitalising on the opportunity to attack the TMC, which had suffered massive public backlash for blistering victim-blaming statements from party leaders Madan Mitra and Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP Mahua Moitra sharply replied, defending the party's accountability by saying that TMC condemned “these disgusting comments”, no matter who made them.
Misogyny in India cuts across party lines. What differentiates @AITCofficial is that we condemn these disgusting comments no matter who makes them. https://t.co/2AQ59fQK4w
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 28, 2025
The party's statements follow the arrests of former Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) leader Manojit Mishra (31), as well as students Pramit Mukherjee (20) and Zaib Ahmed (19), for allegedly gang-raping a first-year law student on the premises of the South Calcutta Law College on June 25.
Pinaki Banerjee, a security guard at the victim's college, was also arrested in connection with the case after CCTV cameras allegedly caught him "sitting outside the guard's room" as the horrific crime was being committed.
“This incident has sent a message to girls that if someone calls you when the college is closed offering you a position in the unit, then don't go, nothing good will come of it. If that girl had not gone there, this wouldn't have happened,” MLA Madan Mitra had said, as per an ANI report.
#WATCH | North 24 Parganas, West Bengal | On Kolkata alleged gang rape case, TMC leader Madan Mitra says, "This incident has sent a message to girls that if someone calls you when the college is closed offering you a position in the unit, then don't go, nothing good will come of… pic.twitter.com/DKF1uPhfaG
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025
This comes just a day after Trinamool's MP for Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee's equally controversial statement about “a friend [that] rapes his friend”.
Hooghly, West Bengal | On Kolkata alleged gangrape case, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says, "I am not an advocate into the incident that occurred at the Law College but the accused should be arrested. A few men commit this type of crime...But what can be done if a friend rapes his… pic.twitter.com/PFfSd0JL6q
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025
"Will the police be in schools? This was done by students to another student. Who will protect her (victim)? ... Who does all this criminality and molestation? Some men do it. So, who should women fight against? Women should fight against these perverted men," he had said, as per an NDTV report.
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Abrasions on the victim's neck and chest have been noted in the victim's medical report, accessed by NDTV on Saturday. While no external genital or oral injuries were observed, doctors have not ruled out sexual assault, pending further forensic confirmation.
A five-member special investigation team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police will probe the alleged gang rape of the law student, amid burgeoning public outrage and no comment from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
