Kiren Rijiju's ‘illiberal gang’ snub on Mamata Banerjee's Durgapur gangrape remark

The alleged gangrape in Durgapur triggered a political slugfest after Mamata questioned the survivor for leaving the campus at night.

Published on: Oct 13, 2025, 12:14:36 IST

By HT News Desk

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Taking a dig at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks on Durgapur rape, union minister Kiren Rijiju called out certain sections of the media for being silent on her comments that have been deemed as blaming the victim.

File photo of Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. (ANI )

“Imagine, if this statement was made by a BJP Chief Minister! The whole echo-system and self declared liberal journalists (actually illiberal gang) would have created unbearable situation in the country (sic),” Rijiju wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The alleged gangrape of a second-year student of a private medical college in West Bengal’s Durgapur triggered a massive political slugfest after Mamata questioned the survivor for leaving the campus at night. She said, “We take cases like these very seriously in Bengal. Three persons have been arrested and investigation is on. But how could the student leave the campus at night? It is a forest area. The private medical college must take care of its students.”

Also read: ‘How was she out at 12:30 am?’ Mamata's shocker on Durgapur medical college gang rape case

Mamata Banerjee later accused the media of distorting her words. "The media distorted my words. You ask me a question, I answer it, and then you distort it. Do not try this kind of politics..." the chief minister said, according to ANI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to protect women, while the ruling party accused the BJP of politicising the incident.

Also read: ‘Trying to victim shame’: BJP slams Mamata over 'out at 12:30 am' remark on Durgapur gangrape

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia called Mamata Banerjee a “blot on womanhood”.

He wrote on X, “Shameless @MamataOfficial a blot on womanhood, even more for being a CM…After RG Kar and Sandeshkhali, now this horrific case of rape and instead of justice, she blames the victim.”

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar slammed the TMC, claiming that the party has repeatedly made such statements and questioned whether the Chief Minister wanted all women to wear burqas and stay at home.

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HT News Desk
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