NEW DELHI: A full blown political showdown ensued on the streets of Kolkata after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sent its fact-finding team over an alleged gangrape case of a 24-year-old law student inside South Calcutta Law College premises.
While Trinamool Congress played down BJP's 4 member fact-finding team as "political tourists", BJP claimed that the incidents happening in West Bengal have a pattern and crime in the state has been increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister.
Here are the top developments
BJP team reaches Kolkata
BJP's fact-checking team, including former union minister Meenakshi Lekhi, Satpal Singh and MPs Biplab Deb and Manan Kumar Mishra, reached Kolkata to probe the alleged gangrape case and study ground reality in its aftermath.
However, the team did not receive permission to visit the South Calcutta Law College, or an audience with the chief secretary.
"Despite being run by a woman chief minister, West Bengal is witnessing one ghastly incident after another in colleges and medical colleges in the state," Deb told reporters after arriving at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
"Women are not safe in West Bengal. Even a law student is not safe," he added.
Scuffle outside college
As the four-membered team visited the college premises, supporters of BJP and its youth wing scuffled with workers of the Left and their allied organisations.
Supporters of the ABVP, which owes its allegiance to the RSS, held protests in front of South Calcutta Law College and Kasba police station, under the jurisdiction of which the educational institution is situated.
'Crimes against women in the state are increasing even after ...'
In a press briefing, BJP leader Satpal Singh pointed out several lapses on the law and order situation and said that crimes against women in the state are increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister.
"We have not just come here to catalyse the investigation into the gangrape case that took place in South Calcutta Law College, but we have come here to give a message that every member of the BJP, every citizen of this country, stands with the women of West Bengal... The kind of incidents taking place in West Bengal are not just incidents; it's a pattern now," he said.
"Crimes against women in the state are increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister. There are so many cases of crimes against women where FIRs are also not being registered... We met the police commissioner. He told us about the investigation and arrests made so far. He assured us that the accused will be punished soon... The person who has had four cases against him since 2013, has been arrested four times, and has been a member of the TMC students' wing, how was such a person given admission in a law college?" he added.
'There is democracy in West Bengal'
Meanwhile, Bengal minister Shahshi Panja lashed out at the BJP and defended the state administration’s handling of the recent sexual assault case and accusing the saffron party of politicising the issue.
Panja pointed out that TMC's delegations were stopped when they wanted to go to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras or Tripura and Assam.
“There is democracy in West Bengal. When our delegation tried to go to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, or to Tripura and Assam, they were stopped. But BJP sends its fact-finding team here with no such restriction. This only shows that democracy is alive in Bengal, unlike in BJP-ruled states,” she said.
Kolkata gangrape case : BJP's fact-finding team visit fuels Bengal political clash - top development
A 24-year-old law student was allegedly gangraped inside South Calcutta Law College premises on June 25.
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.
While Trinamool Congress played down BJP's 4 member fact-finding team as "political tourists", BJP claimed that the incidents happening in West Bengal have a pattern and crime in the state has been increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister.
Here are the top developments
BJP team reaches Kolkata
BJP's fact-checking team, including former union minister Meenakshi Lekhi, Satpal Singh and MPs Biplab Deb and Manan Kumar Mishra, reached Kolkata to probe the alleged gangrape case and study ground reality in its aftermath.
However, the team did not receive permission to visit the South Calcutta Law College, or an audience with the chief secretary.
"Despite being run by a woman chief minister, West Bengal is witnessing one ghastly incident after another in colleges and medical colleges in the state," Deb told reporters after arriving at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
"Women are not safe in West Bengal. Even a law student is not safe," he added.
Scuffle outside college
As the four-membered team visited the college premises, supporters of BJP and its youth wing scuffled with workers of the Left and their allied organisations.
Supporters of the ABVP, which owes its allegiance to the RSS, held protests in front of South Calcutta Law College and Kasba police station, under the jurisdiction of which the educational institution is situated.
'Crimes against women in the state are increasing even after ...'
In a press briefing, BJP leader Satpal Singh pointed out several lapses on the law and order situation and said that crimes against women in the state are increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister.
"We have not just come here to catalyse the investigation into the gangrape case that took place in South Calcutta Law College, but we have come here to give a message that every member of the BJP, every citizen of this country, stands with the women of West Bengal... The kind of incidents taking place in West Bengal are not just incidents; it's a pattern now," he said.
"Crimes against women in the state are increasing even after having a woman as the chief minister. There are so many cases of crimes against women where FIRs are also not being registered... We met the police commissioner. He told us about the investigation and arrests made so far. He assured us that the accused will be punished soon... The person who has had four cases against him since 2013, has been arrested four times, and has been a member of the TMC students' wing, how was such a person given admission in a law college?" he added.
'There is democracy in West Bengal'
Meanwhile, Bengal minister Shahshi Panja lashed out at the BJP and defended the state administration’s handling of the recent sexual assault case and accusing the saffron party of politicising the issue.
Panja pointed out that TMC's delegations were stopped when they wanted to go to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras or Tripura and Assam.
“There is democracy in West Bengal. When our delegation tried to go to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, or to Tripura and Assam, they were stopped. But BJP sends its fact-finding team here with no such restriction. This only shows that democracy is alive in Bengal, unlike in BJP-ruled states,” she said.
Kolkata gangrape case : BJP's fact-finding team visit fuels Bengal political clash - top development
A 24-year-old law student was allegedly gangraped inside South Calcutta Law College premises on June 25.
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.
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