“Misogyny Cuts Across Party Lines”: Mahua Moitra on TMC Leaders’ Remarks in Kolkata Gang‑Rape Case

“Misogyny Cuts Across Party Lines”: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday responded to her party distancing itself from the controversial comments made by TMC leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Madan Mitra on the recent Kolkata gangrape case.

In a post on X, Moitra wrote, “Misogyny in India cuts across party lines,” adding, “The difference is that AITC condemns these disgusting comments no matter who makes them.”

Moitra shared a post by TMC’s official handle on X, condemning the comments made by MP Banerjee and MLA Mitra. The party said that the remarks were made in their personal capacities and dissociated itself from the statements.

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“These views do not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever,” TMC said, adding that the party had “zero tolerance” for crimes against women. The post also demanded the “strictest possible punishment” for those involved in the crime.

Three men were arrested by the Kolkata Police on Friday over the gangrape of a law student inside the South Calcutta Law College in the Kasba area. Two of the accused are current students of the institution, and the third, prime accused Monojit Mishra, is a former student. The survivor filed the FIR on June 26, a day after the incident.

On June 26, a law student filed an FIR alleging gangrape inside the premises of South Calcutta Law College in the city’s Kasba area. Three men have been arrested, including two current students and one former student of the institution. The prime accused, Monojit Mishra, is reportedly a former student.

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MP Kalyan Banerjee’s statement — “What can be done if a friend rapes his friend?” — has been widely condemned for being flippant. He also asked, “Who will protect her?” and “Police cannot be stationed at every school or college?”

Similarly, MLA Madan Mitra faced backlash for suggesting the crime might not have occurred if the woman had not gone to the college after hours. “If someone calls you when the college is closed, offering you a position in the unit, then don’t go,” Mitra said, implying the survivor could have avoided the incident.

These remarks were quickly labeled “victim-blaming” by critics. Amit Malviya, BJP’s West Bengal co-incharge, called the statements “vile and shameful.”

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