Days after a minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, October 6, held a protest against the state authorities. The party accused the police of inaction, suggesting that had they responded more quickly, the outcome might have been different.
"If only 10% of this police force had tried to find this minor girl two days ago and registered an FIR, things would have been different, and none of us would be here," stated Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, who led the protest.
Majumdar further criticized the police, saying, "The police are trying to suppress a democratic agitation. This has effectively brought democracy in the state to an end."
Meanwhile, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul speaking of the incident said, "We have come here to protest and they have put up three lines of barricades. We haven't come here to vandalise the police station but to hold talks. Why did the police not file an FIR when two days ago, the girl went missing? Her parents were made to go from one police station to the other... Had action been taken, the girl would have been alive. Such incidents are happening almost every day but our Chief Minister is playing dandia and doing inaugurations."
It is worth noting that tensions escalated after the alleged rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, whose body was found in a nearby canal. In response, angry local residents set the Mahishamari police station in Kultali on fire.
Residents claimed that when the victim's family approached the police station to lodge a complaint, they were harassed by the officers. In frustration, locals took to the streets, blocking the road in Jayanagar, Kultali, and eventually setting part of the police station ablaze during their protest.
Police arrest accused
Meanwhile, the police said they have detained an accused in connection to the case, and further investigation is presently underway. "After investigation, we have detained a person; he said that he had killed the girl,” the police added.
