Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 29 : Amid the political and social turmoil that has yet again gripped the state of West Bengal following an incident of alleged gangrape of a law student at South Calcutta Law College on June 25, State Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari, along with scores of BJP workers, staged a protest on Sunday evening in Kolkata, condemning the alleged gangrape.
The BJP intensified its attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), blaming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government for what they termed a complete breakdown of law and order in the state.
Adhikari, addressing the protest, accused the state administration of failing to protect women, noting that the police has "completely failed".
"The BJP has been on the streets across the entire state from the first day. No daughter is safe in all of Bengal as long as Mamata Banerjee remains the Chief Minister. It is the police's job to ensure the safety of daughters. The police have completely failed," he asserted.
In Siliguri, the BJP Mahila Morcha held a 'Mashal March' demanding justice against the alleged gang-rape incident.
The incident has sparked public outrage and led to a wave of political protests, with BJP leaders holding the TMC government responsible for deteriorating women's safety across the state.
Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, declaring the law and order situation in the state as "grave".
"Mamata Banerjee is a complete failure and totally out of control. If she remains in her post, such situations will continue to recur against the women of West Bengal," said Majumdar.
Shortly after his release from Lalbazar Police Headquarters -- where he was detained for protesting against the incident -- earlier today, Majumdar announced that BJP workers would take out a 'Mashal Juloos' as a form of protest.
"We will not spare this government...The government has turned a blind eye to this issue. We will go to jail as many times as needed. The fight will continue," he asserted.
The BJP had also called for the resignation of the Chief Minister following the incident.
While the BJP has launched an aggressive campaign against the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, leaders from other national parties have urged restraint and called for justice without politicisation.
National Spokesperson of the NCP-SP faction Seema Malik called for a balanced response to the incident.
"We should not be selective of states in such incidents. CM Mamata Banerjee is a responsible lady, and in such a short time, all four accused were arrested. However, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has a selective approach," Malik said, questioning what she described as politically biased outrage.
Congress MP Imran Masood also commented on the matter, taking a more neutral stance.
"Our law is very strict. If any criminal incident has happened, then strict actions should be taken against it. Politics should not be done over such incidents," Masood said.
Meanwhile, the TMC has issued a show cause notice to its party leader and Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra following his "unwanted, unnecessary, and insensitive comments" on the gangrape case.
The notice, signed by West Bengal TMC President and Rajya Sabha MP Subrata Bakshi, demands an explanation within three days from Mitra for breaching party discipline, following his remarks on the incident that were widely criticised for victim-blaming.
The controversy erupted after Mitra's comment, where he suggested that the incident could have been avoided if the victim had not gone alone to the location.
"This incident has sent a message to girls that if someone calls you when the college is closed... nothing good will come of it. If that girl had not gone there, this wouldn't have happened. If she had informed someone before going or had taken a couple of friends with her, then this wouldn't have happened," Mitra said on Saturday.
BJP leader Gourav Vallabh slammed Mitra's remarks on the incident, stating, "Despite having a woman Chief Minister, Bengal has become number one in the country in terms of harassment, exploitation and atrocities on women. TMC in Bengal works to save the accused and does not stand with the victim's family. We demand that if Mamata Banerjee has even 0.1 per cent morality left, she should resign. TMC has become the darling of atrocities on women today."
The BJP has also announced it has formed a four-member fact-finding committee that will visit the incident site and submit a report to party president JP Nadda. The committee comprises Satpal Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi, Biplab Kumar Deb, and Manan Kumar Mishra.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier also called for the need to "free" West Bengal from the TMC, drawing parallels between the party's governance in the state and the Emergency imposed by the Congress in 1975.
Speaking during a press conference, Pradhan criticised the TMC for perpetuating a "dangerous mindset" that he claims undermines the state's educational and social fabric.
Earlier, on June 25, a female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area.
The police have arrested three persons, including the main accused, and a five-member Special team has been formed to investigate the incident.
The main accused, Manojit Mishra, and his accomplices, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, have been remanded to police custody till July 1.