"What can be done if friend rapes friend?": TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee's controversial remarks on Kolkata college gang-rape

The alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old law student at South Calcutta Law College has escalated into a major political controversy, fueled by a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee's controversial remarks. Responding to queries about the horrific incident, Banerjee stated, "What can be done if a friend rapes his friend. Will the police be in schools? This was done by students to another student. Who will protect her (victim)?" He further asserted that crime was not confined to any party and that the "mindset of men" was the core issue. These comments have been widely condemned by the opposition BJP as "disgraceful" and an attempt to deflect institutional accountability.

The victim's complaint details a harrowing ordeal on Wednesday evening inside a guard's room next to the student union office. She alleges she was lured, locked in, and sexually assaulted by Manojit Mishra (31), a former student and practicing criminal lawyer, while two current students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), assisted. The survivor recounted being hit with a hockey stick, begging for an inhaler during a panic attack, and being threatened with death and video leaks. Medical examinations have corroborated her account, revealing signs of physical assault, bite marks, scratches, and evidence of forced penetration. All three accused have been arrested and remanded to four days of police custody, with their mobile phones seized for forensic analysis as investigators look for potential video recordings.

The controversy deepened after the survivor's complaint identified Manojit Mishra as having links to the ruling TMC, stating he was an "ex-student and unofficial head of the college TMCP unit." Photos have surfaced showing Mishra with senior Trinamool figures, including MP Abhishek Banerjee and state Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. The BJP has seized upon these links, labelling the incident a direct result of "political protection for rapists" and calling for state-wide protests. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has threatened "something big will happen," while Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar warned the ruling party "don't escape from the hands of sin."

In an attempt at damage control, Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja stated the TMC does not want to politicize the victim's pain and assured strict action against the accused "irrespective of affiliation." TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya also distanced the organization from Mishra, asserting the college unit has been defunct since 2019 and that Mishra's past position does not predict his current actions. This case, coming less than a year after the RG Kar Medical College incident, has reignited concerns about women's safety on educational campuses in West Bengal.