Trinamool Congress distances itself from comments of Kalyan Banerjee and Madan Mitra on Law College rape case, says it strongly condemns the same
Trinamool Congress on Friday evening issued an official statement distancing itself from controversial remarks made by MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Madan Mitra regarding the recent rape case at South Calcutta Law College. The statement, posted on X, claimed that the comments were made in the personal capacities of the two leaders and do not reflect the party’s stance.
The rape incident occurred on June 25, 2025, involving a 24-year-old female law student at South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata’s Kasba area. Three individuals, including the alleged main accused Manojit Mishra, a Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad leader, have been arrested. The case has sparked widespread outrage and renewed debates on women’s safety in educational institutions, especially following the RG Kar Medical College incident earlier this year.
Amid these, the two TMC leaders made highly objectionable comments over the incident. Kalyan Banerjee, a TMC MP, faced backlash for his statement saying that the woman was raped by her friends. He had said, “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)?”
The Sreerampur MP further said, “Who does all this criminality and molestation? Some men do it. So, who should women fight against? Women should fight against these perverted men.” These comments were perceived as trivializing the crime.
TMC MLA Madan Mitra made a shocking remark blaming the woman for the crime against her. He suggested that the victim should not have visited the college alone, implying her actions contributed to the assault. Mitra said, ““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”.
He further added, “The one who committed this dirty deed took advantage of the situation.”
In response to large scale outrage on these comments, TMC was forced to issue the statement distancing it from the comments. The party stated, “The remarks made by MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Madan Mitra concerning the heinous crime at South Calcutta Law College were made in their personal capacities. The party unequivocally disassociates itself from their statements and strongly condemns the same. These views do not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever.”
It further added, “The remarks made by MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Madan Mitra concerning the heinous crime at South Calcutta Law College were made in their personal capacities. The party unequivocally disassociates itself from their statements and strongly condemns the same. These views do not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever.”
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