New Delhi [India], June 28 : CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Saturday strongly condemned alleged Kolkata law student gang-rape inside the campus in West Bengal, accusing the TMC government for imposing a culture of impunity for alleged rapists and criminals.
Speaking to ANI, Karat said, "It is a highly condemnable crime which is taking place on the law campus," Karat said. "It is taking place because of the impunity that these rapists and criminals enjoy under the rule of the TMC government."
The senior CPI(M) leader accused the Trinamool Congress-led administration of protecting those responsible for creating an environment where "rape culture" was allowed to thrive. "After the RG Kar Medical College horrendous case, it was very clear that the TMC government is there to patronise these people and protect all those who are involved in it and who created an environment in which rape culture flourish," she added.
Karat also claimed that the main accused in the current case was a known TMC student leader who had been given a job by the campus administration. "This is exactly what has happened on the law campus. The man who has been named is a known TMC student leader, and he was given a job by the administration of the campus," she told ANI.
Meanwhile, in a scathing critique of the state's law and order situation, Karat declared, "The TMC government is singularly responsible for making Bengal one of the most unsafe places in India for women."
Earlier, Kolkata Police arrested the guard of the South Calcutta Law College, where a female student was allegedly gang-raped.
Kolkata police said, "Guard of the Law College, Pinaki Banerjee (55) has also been arrested in the case."
A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the incident. Taking immediate notice, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar expressed deep concern and wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, urging a time-bound investigation under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Meanwhile, the alleged gangrape has triggered a political row between the leaders of the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.