BJP Claims Bengal Minister Called Kolkata Rape 'Small Incident', He Denies

A West Bengal minister's statement that any incident that happens in the state is blown out of proportion has been used by the BJP to attack the Trinamool Congress and claim that he was talking about the rape of the law student in Kolkata last week. Refuting the allegation, the minister has said he was not referring to the rape and that he strongly condemns the incident.

The West Bengal BJP shared a clip on Tuesday in which Irrigation Minister Manas Bhunia can be heard saying in Bengali, "The moment there is a small incident in Bengal, they say 'look the state is gone, such destruction'... Yes, incidents happen and they happen within families too. Husbands are killing their wives, and wives are taking the help of their lovers to kill their husbands when they go on vacation. These are the crises of the society (sic)."

The 24-year-old law student was allegedly raped at the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area on June 25 by Monojit Mishra - a 31-year-old former student of the college who is linked to the student wing of the Trinamool Congress. Two students, identified as 19-year-old Zaib Ahmed and 20-year-old Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and a security guard are the other accused, and all four have been arrested.

In its text with the clip, the BJP brought up recent comments on the rape by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra and MP Kalyan Banerjee - Mr Mitra had asked why the student had gone to the scene of the crime by herself and Mr Banerjee had appeared to downplay the seriousness of the crime - and alleged no woman will be safe in Bengal till the Trinamool Congress is in power. 

"Shame! State Minister Manas Bhunia, echoing Mamata Banerjee's stance, claims that rape is a "small incident" and that people create unnecessary noise every time such a case occurs! This is the culture of TMC. Sometimes they question the character of the rape survivor, and sometimes, like Madan Mitra or Kalyan Banerjee, they target the victim instead of standing by her, even when the rape is committed inside a state government college campus by a TMC leader," the West Bengal unit of the BJP said in the post on X.

Shame!

State Minister Manas Bhunia, echoing Mamata Banerjee's stance, claims that rape is a “small incident” and that people create unnecessary noise every time such a case occurs!

This is the culture of TMC. Sometimes they question the character of the rape survivor, and… pic.twitter.com/3VDBZN38mv

— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 1, 2025

"As long as the TMC remains in power, no woman in West Bengal will ever be safe," the Bengal BJP wrote. 

Union Minister and Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar also shared the same clip and said Mr Bhunia's comments reflect the "filthy mindset" of the Trinamool Congress. 

"Just like a true successor to a failed Chief Minister, West Bengal's Irrigation Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia shamelessly referred to the bone-chilling incident of gang rape inside an educational institution as a 'small matter.' This is no different from how the Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial, once tried to downplay another heinous incident of sexual violence in the recent past," Mr Majumdar wrote on X. 

Women of Bengal have witnessed this filthy mindset of the ruling Trinamool Congress before and once again, like peeling an onion, one after another, party leaders like Madan Mitra, Kalyan Banerjee, and now Manas Bhunia are coming out with disgraceful, insensitive comments. Forget about protecting women - these remarks reflect how @AITCofficial leaders truly perceive women. And that in itself is a damning indictment!" he added.

'Smear Campaign'

Mr Bhunia denied that he was talking about the rape and said attempts were being made to defame him. 

"Our party strongly condemns the Kasba incident. I, Manas Bhunia, also strongly condemn it. The police have taken prompt action and made immediate arrests. Our Chief Minister does not tolerate such incidents," the minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

He continued, "I would like to clarify that my previous comments were not related to the Kasba incident. They have been misrepresented and linked to the unfortunate incident in an attempt to malign and defame me. I reiterate - I strongly condemn this incident." 

Later in the evening, the Trinamool Congress also strongly backed the minister and accused the BJP of launching a "full-scale smear campaign".

"An excerpt from Shri @ManasB_Official's speech has been maliciously taken out of context, misquoted, and circulated to mislead viewers about the Kasba incident. Shri Manas Bhunia has issued a strong clarification, unequivocally condemning the Kasba incident and exposing BJP's desperate, deceitful narrative. BJP should know that defamation has consequences. No matter how loud the lies, truth will prevail," the party wrote in a post on X.