BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Friday that the brutal gang rape in Kolkata has sparked immense anger across the country, including within the medical community.

He also questioned the silence of INDI alliance leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Akhilesh Yadav, on the issue and blamed them for supporting Mamata Banerjee.

“As painful and tragic as this incident is, even more painful is the conduct of the West Bengal government and the leaders of the INDI alliance. An attempt was made to pass off the gang rape incident in Kolkata as a suicide. The case was not handed over to the CBI, and the principal principal who was removed was appointed to another college within a few hours. This clearly shows the intention of the TMC government,” the BJP leader said during a press conference at the state BJP headquarters here on Friday.

Sudhanshu Trivedi said that following the High Court’s order, the vandalism and assault on doctors by anti-social elements masquerading as protesters could be part of a conspiracy to erase facts and evidence. He emphasised that this incident is not merely an isolated incident but indicative of a prevailing mentality that has persisted in West Bengal for a long time.

The BJP national spokesperson said that the mentality nurtured by the TMC in West Bengal is also evident in the SP and INDI alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

“After the rape of a minor girl in Ayodhya, there was an attempt to falsify and destroy evidence by threatening the victim, and a similar mentality is evident in Kannauj. The SP leader’s statement questioning why a 15-year-old girl was out in the evening is both shameful and objectionable. The behavior of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is similar to that of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. From Kannauj to Kolkata, a dangerous mentality of protecting criminals and harbouring hatred and malice towards women is apparent,” he alleged.

Sudhanshu Trivedi said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had given the slogan ‘I am a girl, I can fight’ from Uttar Pradesh.

“Today, from the land of Uttar Pradesh, I want to ask Mrs Priyanka Gandhi why she remains silent on the issues facing girls from Ayodhya and Kannauj to Kolkata. I also want to ask Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi if their ‘shop of love’ only supports criminals, corrupt individuals, and rapists. Congress leader in Bengal Adhir Ranjan Choudhary has labelled Mamata Banerjee a dictator and claimed that there is no democracy in Bengal, with Mamata Banerjee protecting criminals. In such a situation, Rahul Gandhi should explain why he is allying with the Trinamool Congress,” he questioned.

He said that a shameful statement was made in UP that boys make mistakes, and since the power of these two boys is a little bigger, the courage and audacity of the criminal elements are increasing rapidly.

Sudhanshu Trivedi also questioned Akhilesh Yadav, asking why efforts are being made to provide cover for SP leaders directly involved in misdeeds, without taking any effective action. He described the real face of Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA as familyist, domineering, and criminal, suggesting that these traits are its basic meaning. Akhilesh Yadav’s goal is to gain power through bullying and criminalisation. He claimed that the INDI alliance symbolises a mentality of protecting aligned criminals, which endangers the constitutional system and society.