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The political landscape of West Bengal has once again been stirred by a controversy surrounding a statement made by a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Manas Ranjan Bhunia. Bhunia, who serves as the Minister of Department of Water Resources Investigation and Development and Irrigation and Waterways, found himself at the center of a storm after referring to an unspecified incident as a “small incident.” This remark, made on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, quickly drew the ire of opposition parties, who interpreted it as a dismissive characterization of the recent gang rape incident in Kasba, South Kolkata. The ensuing uproar highlights the sensitivity of political discourse surrounding issues of sexual violence and the ease with which statements can be misconstrued or weaponized in the political arena. Bhunia's initial statement, made at an event, alluded to the disproportionate attention given to events in West Bengal compared to other regions, stating, “So many days have passed but the terrorist at Pahalgam has not been arrested. ‘Even if a small incident happens in Bengal, it creates a stir.’” While he did not explicitly mention the Kasba incident, the timing and ambiguity of his words led to immediate speculation that he was downplaying the severity of the sexual assault. The opposition seized upon this perceived insensitivity, accusing Bhunia of “normalizing sexual assault” and demonstrating a lack of empathy for the victim. Facing mounting criticism, Bhunia swiftly issued a clarification, asserting that his remarks were not made in the context of the Kasba gang rape. He stated, “I have never spoken about small incidents in the Kasba context. I have spoken about incidents in the health sector. I have spoken about how much good work Mamata Banerjee has done.” This attempt to reframe his statement, however, did little to quell the controversy, as the opposition continued to press their attack, highlighting the perceived disconnect between Bhunia's words and the gravity of the situation.
The Trinamool Congress leadership, recognizing the potential damage to their reputation, rallied to Bhunia's defense. They claimed that an excerpt from his speech had been “maliciously taken out of context, misquoted, and circulated to mislead viewers about the Kasba incident.” In a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), the TMC stated, “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.” This response underscores the highly partisan nature of the controversy, with the TMC framing the criticism as a politically motivated attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP, in turn, amplified the outrage, using Bhunia's remarks as an opportunity to criticize the TMC's handling of law and order in West Bengal and to accuse the party of fostering a culture of impunity. The West Bengal BJP leadership took to social media to condemn Bhunia, stating, “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.” This statement directly links Bhunia's remarks to a broader perception of the TMC's dismissive attitude towards sexual violence, further fueling the political firestorm. The BJP also pointed to previous controversial statements made by other TMC leaders, Madan Mitra and Kalyan Banerjee, as evidence of a systemic problem within the party. Mitra had reportedly suggested that the survivor should not have ventured alone, while Banerjee had questioned how police could prevent “such incidents if a friend rapes a friend.” These remarks, perceived as victim-blaming and insensitive, have long been a source of criticism for the TMC.
The BJP further asserted, “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. As long as TMC remains in power, no woman in West Bengal will ever be safe.” This statement represents a strong indictment of the TMC's record on women's safety and accuses the party of creating an environment in which sexual violence is tolerated, if not implicitly encouraged. The Trinamool Congress, attempting to mitigate the damage, has distanced itself from the remarks made by Kalyan Banerjee and Madan Mitra. The party has issued a show cause notice to Madan Mitra, who has since apologized for his remarks. This action suggests an effort to address the concerns raised by the opposition and to demonstrate a commitment to taking the issue of sexual violence seriously. However, the controversy surrounding Bhunia's remarks continues to linger, underscoring the challenges faced by political leaders in navigating sensitive issues and the potential consequences of misspoken words. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of careful communication and empathy in addressing issues of sexual violence and the need for political discourse to be conducted with sensitivity and respect for victims. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also weighed in on the controversy, calling the remarks by Dr. Bhunia as unfortunate. This cross-party condemnation further isolates Bhunia and highlights the widespread disapproval of his initial statement. The Kasba gang rape incident, which triggered the controversy, involved the alleged sexual assault of a law student inside a college in south Kolkata. The Kolkata Police have arrested three persons, two students and an alumnus of the college, for gang rape, as well as a security guard of the institute. The arrests underscore the seriousness of the crime and the need for swift and decisive action to ensure justice for the victim. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the outcome will likely have significant implications for the political landscape of West Bengal, particularly in relation to the upcoming elections.