On Monday tensions unfolded outside the South Calcutta Law College when Left party and BJP workers clashed while a fact-finding team from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) visited the place in protest against the gang rape of a law student inside the college campus on June 25.
A BJP team that consisted of four-member people who had reached the city in the morning, were trying to visit the spot where the alleged crime took place. But police had stopped the team from entering the college. The tension added further as workers of BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and supporters of CPI(M)’s student wing, SFI, gathered outside the college, resulting in fierce scuffles.
Kolkata Gang Rape case and Statewide protests
Whereas the security forces had a tough time controlling the groups, both of whom were protesting the same issue demanding justice for the survivor and action against the accused.The Law college gang rape has been the source of statewide protest. In a police affidavit, the survivor had accused three men, a college graduate Manojit Mishra and two students, Promit Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed of raping her on the campus. And also a college guard was also arrested in the same case.
BJP and student wings organized rallies at Esplanade, even in North Bengal’s Balurghat Kasba Police Station, and Siliguri.
Whereas, at College Street opposite the University of Calcutta, SFI activists protested, condemned the incident and demanded harsher action against the perpetrators. On the other side,RSS-aligned ABVP supporters also had participated in protests outside South Calcutta Law College demanding action and improved safety for women on law campus.
Kolkata Gang Rape case: Opposition lashes out at Mamata Banerjee
Speaking on the rape case, BJP MP Satpal Singh, who is a member of the visiting fact-finding team, held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responsible and accountable for the poor law and order situation in the state. “Crimes against women have turned into a pattern in West Bengal. The government is turning a blind eye,” MP took a dig at Mamata at a press conference. After the fact finding, The BJP team is likely to present its findings to party president JP Nadda.
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