'Who's Protecting Him?': BJP Attacks TMC On Kolkata Rape Accused's College Admission
A fresh controversy erupted after the BJP raised serious questions regarding the college admission of Zaib Ahmed, one of the accused in the Kolkata rape case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trained its guns on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government once again over the Kolkata law student rape case, by raising questions on the college admission of one of the accused.
Four accused – identified as Manojit Mishra, 31, Zaib Ahmed, 19, Pramit Mukhopadhyay, 20, and Pinaki Banerjee, 55 – have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 24-year-old law student from South Calcutta Law College in Kasba.
A fresh controversy erupted after BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya raised serious questions regarding the college admission of Zaib Ahmed, despite scoring a 'dismal" rank in the Calcutta University Law Entrance Test (CULET).
'Zaib Ahmed, one of the accused in the South Calcutta Law College Rape Case, was admitted to the same college—South Kolkata Law College under Calcutta University—despite securing a dismal 2634 rank in CULET-UG 2024!" he said on X.
'Meanwhile, meritorious and law-abiding students with far better ranks are being denied admission. Welcome to Mamata Banerjee's Bengal—where the rule of law is mocked and institutions are systematically destroyed to protect criminals with political connections."
Malviya further demanded to know why Zaib was given a seat in the prestigious law college and who was protecting him from prosecution.
Zaib and others have been arrested and charged under multiple sections related to sexual assault and criminal conspiracy. They were accused of raping the law student after the girl rejected a marriage proposal from the prime accused, Manojit Mishra.
On Sunday, people from diverse backgrounds united in solidarity, participating in protests against the gang rape of a law college student in Kolkata. Demonstrations took place outside South Calcutta Law College, the alleged crime scene, and Kasba Police Station, where the First Information Report (FIR) was filed.
Protests spread to different parts of the city by evening, including Jadavpur, Rashbehari, and Harzra. Supporters of 'Abhaya Mancha" a group created after rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Hospital and Medical College on August 9, 2024, participated in the protests, along with students and the elderly.
The Kolkata Police has formed a five-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the alleged gang rape of the student. The police were also trying to find out whether the entire crime was pre-planned or not, a police official said.
First Published:
June 30, 2025, 12:03 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Puri Rath Yatra stampede puts BJP on back foot as BJD, Congress raise storm
While the BJP government in Odisha claims to have taken 'swift action' following Sunday's stampede during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri that claimed three lives, the incident seems to have jolted the party days after it went all out to celebrate its first year in power. While BJP insiders admit that the incident has dented the government's image and has led to the party putting off the election of its state chief, the Mohan Charan Majhi dispensation has also come under fire from the Opposition. 'A high-level committee of ministers headed by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida was constituted to oversee (Rath Yatra) preparations. Has anyone seen the panel members on the ground? Are they not responsible for the mess? Why has action not been taken against them?' an Opposition leader asked. A smooth conduct of the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri has traditionally been seen in Odisha as public validation for successive governments. During a review meeting with the administration on June 22, the Majhi government directed that the Rath Yatra must be 'incident-free'. The Majhi government, which barely had a month last year to prepare for the annual event, pulled out all stops this year and started preparations for the 'memorable event' barely a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally on June 22 in Bhubaneswar, where he said that the BJP government was completing one year in power while the state was gearing up for the Rath Yatra. Last Friday, the BJP government came under attack for the delay in pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath, which only moved a few metres before the day ended. It also came under attack for 'lapses' in crowd management that left over 200 devotees ill. As per tradition, in the Rath Yatra, also known as Gundicha Yatra, the Lord along with his siblings – elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra – embark on a nine-day sojourn from their 12th century shrine to the Gundicha Temple, their birthplace, covering a distance of around 3 km. After a ceremonial procession called 'Pahandi', the deities are taken to the Gundicha Temple on three large chariots, where they stay till the 'Bahuda Yatra' (return car festival), which is scheduled for July 5 this year. Millions of people join the procession to pull the chariots. BJD chief and ex-CM Naveen Patnak, who is now Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, took to social media to slam the government's 'incompetence' in conducting the Puri Rath Yatra. 'The stampede, which occurred just a day after the abysmal failure to manage crowds during the Rath Yatra, exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for the devotees,' he said in an X post on Sunday. Calling the incident a 'man-made disaster', the Congress slammed the Majhi government, accusing it of 'prioritising VVIP movements during the event over safety of common people'. Despite attacks from the Opposition, state law minister Prithviraj Harichandran tried to justify the delay claiming 'everything happens according to the Lord's wish'. After the procession reached the Gundicha Temple, Harichandran said the Yatra had been 'incident-free'. Hours after his remarks, a swelling crowd advanced towards the chariots around 4 am on Sunday leading to a stampede. Making matters worse, two vehicles carrying materials for the rituals entered the spot. Eyewitnesses said the ensuing 'chaos' lasted for 20 minutes, claiming there were no policemen or senior officials to help the devotees. With no system in place for ambulances to move freely, relatives of the devotees pulled out the injured from the crowd and shifted them to hospitals. 'My wife and others would have been saved had there been arrangements for the smooth movement of ambulances,' said the husband of a deceased woman. Almost immediately after the stampede, CM Majhi ordered an administrative probe, shunted out the Collector and SP of Puri and suspended two senior police officers for 'dereliction of duty'. He also apologised to the devotees, indicating the sensitivity of the issue. A major administrative shake-up has also been initiated with a senior bureaucrat and a police officer, who have prior experience of handling the Rath Yatra, being roped in to supervise the remaining event. The move is being seen as the government's effort to restore the people's faith in the administration. While the probe is scheduled to be completed in a month, preliminary reports suggest lack of coordination between administrative wings, poor planning by the police and deploying inexperienced officers to manage the situation led to the incident. State BJP chief Manmohan Samal expressed concern over the incident but said the state government 'took the right decision at the right time'. 'We will be careful to ensure that such incidents do not recur,' he said.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Congress Leader Apologises For Calling Sikkim A 'Neighbouring Country', BJP Hits Back
Last Updated: Congress leader Ajoy Kumar apologised for his statement on Sikkim and issued a clarification stating that it was a "slip of the tongue". A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Congress leader Ajoy Kumar for his statement on Sikkim, Kumar on Wednesday issued a clarification stating that it was a 'slip of the tongue" and apologised for his remarks. A massive controversy erupted after a purported video featuring the Congress leader came to light, in which, Kumar can be heard referring to Sikkim as a 'neighbouring country". 'Yesterday, during my press conference, while I was speaking about the deteriorating relations with our neighboring countries, I mistakenly mentioned the name of a state. I sincerely apologise for this, as it was an unintentional human error — a slip of the tongue," Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said, clarifying his mistake. BJP Slams Congress Leader Meanwhile, the Sikkim unit of the BJP vehemently denounced the outrageous and ignorant statement made by the Congress leader. 'It is utterly deplorable that a former IPS officer and Member of Parliament displays such appalling disregard for India's history and geography, 'the BJP said in a post on X, adding, 'The Congress party must immediately educate its leaders to prevent such disgraceful blunders. This shameful remark deserves the strongest possible condemnation." The BJP Sikkim unit vehemently denounces the outrageous and ignorant statement made by INC leader Ajoy Kumar, who shockingly referred to Sikkim as a 'neighboring country" during his press conference at AICC headquarters today. It is utterly deplorable that a former IPS officer… — BJP Sikkim (@BJP4Sikkim) July 1, 2025 Reacting to the controversy, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress party of following the footsteps of Jinnah and trying the divide the country. 'The Congress party is following in the footsteps of Jinnah. Jinnah wanted an Islamic state and the partition of India and Congress is doing the same today. They advocate for Sharia over the Samvidhan," he added.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Only man in fray, Bindal re-elected as Himachal BJP chief for 3rd term
Dr Rajiv Bindal was on Tuesday elected unopposed as the Himachal Pradesh BJP chief for a third term Tuesday. In the elections held Monday, Bindal was the only party leader to file nomination papers for the post. Formally declaring the results, Union minister Jitendra Singh took a swipe at the Congress. 'In their party, leadership decisions are made in kitchens and over dining tables. In contrast, the BJP follows democratic principles where even an ordinary worker can rise to the top,' Jitendra Singh said. Bindal's reappointment as state unit chief for a third term 'reflects the confidence of the organization in his leadership and ability to strengthen the party at the grassroots,' he added. Hamirpur MP and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur said Bindal's appointment would energize the party. He claimed that if elections were held today, Congress wouldn't win even eight seats in state. He also slammed the Congress government for administrative collapse and internal conflict. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur too criticised the Congress for failing to appoint office-bearers for nine months and for stalling development in the state. BJP state in-charge Srikant Sharma said the party now has 18 lakh members in Himachal and is committed to making every booth strong under the 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' campaign. Bindal, on assuming the office, called on the party workers to work dedicatedly to oust the 'corrupt and untruthful government'. 'I will work 24×7 with the motto of nation first as the next two years are very challenging,' he said urging workers to pledge unity and rise above personal interests. His mission, Bindal said, is to ensure that 'lotus' blooms in Himachal Pradesh again. He said that due to their commitment to the welfare of people former BJP chief ministers Shanta Kumar, Prem Kumar Dhumal and Jai Ram Thakur are remembered as 'Paniwala, Sadakwala and Sewawala' chief ministers. Bindal said the party had led in 61 out of 68 Assembly segments in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He also highlighted the party's organisational achievements, including enrolling 47,000 active members, increasing the number of mandals from 74 to 171, and constituting committees in 7,775 of the 8,009 polling booths in the state. Bindal remained an MLA from 2002 to 2022, serving five terms. He was thrice elected from Solan and twice from Nahan. He served as the health minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal-led government from 2007 to 2012. He was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 13th Vidhan Sabha In January 2018, and held the post till January 2020. He also had a brief stint as the state BJP chief before being reappointed in April 2023. Meanwhile, former minister Govind Thakur and party general secretaries Bihari Lal Sharma, Trilok Kapoor, Pawan Kajal, Rashmi Dhar Sood, Payal Vaidya, Rajiv Saizal and Sanjeev Katwal were elected as national council members. Jai Ram Thakur; Anurag Thakur; Lok Sabha members Suresh Kashyap, Kangana Ranaut and Rajiv Bharadwaj; and Rajya Sabha members Indu Goswami, Sikender Kumar and Harsh Mahajan were elected as ex-officio members of the national council.
