West Bengal's BJP government faces criticism after SCRB data shows alarming crime rates, including 2,454 rape cases in five months. TMC has launched a campaign against the ruling party, questioning its governance and demanding a special assembly session to address the issue.
A MAJOR POLITICAL ROW HAS ERUPTED in West Bengal after a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by former Rajya Sabha Member Saket Gokhale revealed the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data noting strikingly high instances of rape, murders, attempts to murder, and cases of grevious assault in the period between May 2026 to September 24, 2026. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in Bengal after the assembly election results were declared on May 4, 2026.
In this five-month stint under the BJP, the SCRB data shows an alarming number of criminal cases in the state, with the number of registered rape cases amounting to roughly 16 per day.
The Trinamool Congress (Mamata Faction) on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, initiated its fierce campaign against the ruling BJP government in the state, demanding an immediate special session of the assembly to discuss and debate on this issue.
Mamata Bannerjee-allied Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Beleghata, Kunal Ghosh and Advocate Arka Nag addressed a press conference outside the Assembly on October 7, 2026. In the interaction with the media, Ghosh, and Nag detailed the SCRB data procured recently through an RTI filed by Saket Gokhale.
Under the New BJP government in Bengal — in the period between May, 2026 to September 24, 2026 — the state government has officially recorded 2,454 cases of rape, 600 murders, 13,114 attempts to murder, and 32,341 cases of assault concerning grievous harm.
TMC National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee also sharply criticized the ruling BJP government in the State. Posting the RTI data on X, Abhishek wrote, “A snapshot of the BJP’s “DOUBLE ENGINE” disaster in West Bengal. They promised a “double engine.” Bengal got DOUBLE ENGINE DISASTER. This is what SIR and VoteChori have delivered. Power at any cost. Bengal paying the price.”
Speaking at the news conference, Kunal Ghosh also took aim at the sudden silence of the civil society groups and the opposition parties in the state. “Consider the amount of propaganda the BJP spread over the crimes against women under the TMC. Today, after the BJP government came to power, 2,454 cases of rape have been registered in just five months. Where are the candlelit marches?” Kunal Ghosh said, while alleging the BJP government for nurturing a climate of violence, political coercion and denial of legal remedies.
Advocate Arka Nag questioned the lacunas in the legal system. He alleged that the formally registered First Information Reports (FIR) are often kept off online portals after the designated 24-hour window.
By placing these points on table, TMC has demanded an official public statement from both Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and Governor R.N Ravi regarding the rising cases of crime in West Bengal.
Reacting to the statements made by TMC, Debjit Sarkar — BJP spokesperson — said that earlier, the TMC government, did not register rape cases in the state, nor was there any NCRB data. In fact, the availability of these crime data is an outcome of BJP’s transparent governance.
“Anyone can access NCRB data now and get these details. In the TMC regime, there was a 2.5% conviction rate. Former CM Mamata Banerjee also made extremely insensitive remarks regarding the Park street rape victim. She said women should not travel after 8 p.m. How can TMC question BJP?” Debjit Sarkar said to the press.
Additionally, he also said that the availability of crime data during the BJP government is a sign of good governance. Debjit Sarkar stated, “Complaints are being noted and recorded properly. This is the transparency and governance we promised to the people.”
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
(Rh/AR/HP)
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