Senior Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee’s remarks on the rape of a 24-year-old student at South Calcutta Law College have triggered sharp condemnation by the opposition BJP in West Bengal. Mr Banerjee, MP from Sreerampur, responded to queries about the case with comments that were described as “disgraceful” by the BJP. “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)?” Mr Banerjee asked, adding, “Who does all this criminality and molestation? Some men do it. So, who should women fight against? Women should fight against these perverted men.” The remarks have drawn criticism for appearing to deflect institutional accountability. Mr Banerjee refused to address links between the main accused and the Trinamool Congress’s student wing, insisting that crime was not confined to any party or organisation. “I am saying the same thing again and again. Whoever has done it must be arrested immediately. But if a friend rapes a friend, how can that be corruption?” Mr Banerjee said. “The condition of safety and security is the same everywhere. As long as the mindset of men remains this way, these incidents will keep occurring. You (reporter) have a political agenda, that’s why you have brought this mic to ask your question.” Mr Banerjee’s comments come amid an investigation into the alleged gang-rape of a first-year law student inside the South Calcutta Law College premises Wednesday evening. According to the police complaint filed by the survivor, she was lured into a guard’s room next to the student union office by three men — Monojit Mishra, a 31-year-old former student and practising criminal lawyer, and two current students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20). The survivor alleges she was locked in the room and sexually assaulted by Mishra while the other two stood by and assisted. Her statement describes being hit on the head with a hockey stick, begging for an inhaler during a panic attack, and being threatened with death if she spoke out. Medical examination has corroborated her account, with doctors noting signs of physical assault, bite marks, scratches, and evidence of forced penetration. The three accused were arrested and remanded to police custody for four days. Their mobile phones have been seized, and investigators are analysing them for possible video recordings of the assault, as the survivor has alleged she was filmed during the attack. While police action moved quickly, political controversy intensified after the survivor’s complaint identified one of the accused — Mishra — as a person with links to the ruling TMC. “He is an ex-student and unofficial head of the college TMCP unit. Everyone listened to him,” her statement reads. Photos have emerged of Mishra with senior Trinamool figures, including MP Abhishek Banerjee and state Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. The BJP released several photographs showing Mishra at party events and labelled the incident a direct result of “political protection for rapists.” Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari called for state-wide protests and challenged the government to break its silence on party links. Trinamool leaders have attempted to contain the fallout. At a press conference Friday evening, Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said: “We don’t want to politicise the pain of a woman. The police have acted. The accused will not be spared, irrespective of affiliation.” Ms Panja also accused the BJP of blocking the passage of the Aparajita Bill, a West Bengal Assembly-passed proposal prescribing the death penalty for rape, at the national level. “Don’t talk about respect for women while blocking legislation meant to protect them,” she said. TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya distanced the organisation from the accused, stating that the South Calcutta Law College’s TMCP unit had been defunct since 2019. “He held a position in 2019. How were we expected to know what he would do in 2025? Were we supposed to be fortune tellers? Can you even predict what your friends will do in the future? He was not part of any committees in 2022 or 2023. He is not part of any committees now… But which party he belongs to is not important. He is a rapist, he should face justice,” Mr Bhattacharya said This case follows last year’s rape and murder of a medical intern at RG Kar Medical College. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world