Trinamool's Madan Mitra dismisses party's alleged link to Kolkata gangrape accused, says "people just claiming to be leaders"

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], June 29 (ANI): West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Madan Mitra has dismissed any allegations of the Kolkata Law college gangrape accused being linked to his party, stating that people falsely try to claim themselves as leaders of the party even as it has already condemned the incident and ensured that the accused is arrested.
Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that the Kolkata law college gangrape accused is linked to the leaders of Trinamool Congress, and has demanded their resignation. The party is protesting in Kolkata regarding the incident, which led to the overnight detention of Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on June 28.
Meanwhile, Madan Mitra told reporters "The government is against this incident, police has arrested people after raids, investigation, and searches. But people go to meetings, people get their photos clicked with TMC leaders and then start calling themselves TMC leaders too. We have to see the view of TMC, the party is condemning and calling for strictest of punishment."
The TMC leader, however, also said that the incident is a signal to women that they shouldn't go to certain places after hours or inform friends about their whereabouts, claiming that the incident would not have taken place otherwise.
"If that girl had not gone there, this wouldn't have happened. If she had informed someone before going or had taken a couple of friends with her, then this wouldn't have happened," he said.
Yesterday, several BJP leaders were detained by West Bengal police as they were protesting at Lalbazar against the alleged gangrape incident at South Calcutta Law College.
The incident that comes 10 months after the RG Kar hospital rape and murder case has triggered a major political row in West Bengal.
Following his detention, BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar refused to sign the bail bond and said that he is ready to stay in the lockup overnight.
After his release today, Majumdar said, "I was arrested for protesting. After that, the police told me they would release me if I signed a bail bond. I did not sign, and I stayed at Lalbazar (police headquarters). 32 workers accompanied me. When the government police sleep, someone has to wake up. The BJP is doing this work. If I have to get arrested 1,000 times for West Bengal, I am ready to do so..."
On the detention of Union Minister, co-Convener of the West Bengal BJP legal department, Tarunjyoti Tiwari said that the state party chief is not being given proper food and no rules are being followed, calling it a case of "police overreach".
The main accused, Manojit Mishra, and his accomplices, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, have been remanded to police custody till July 1.
Meanwhile, the medico-legal examination (MLC) of the victim of the alleged gangrape incident at South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata has been completed. Counselling of the victim was also done by an authorised counsellor, and her statement has been recorded, the police said.
Police also recreated the crime scene. South Suburban Division DC Bidisha Kalita said, "The crime scene was recreated today by the police and the statement of the victim has been recorded.'
Congress and the BJP held separate protests over the incident. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers also held a 'Mashal March' demanding justice for the rape survivor. (ANI)