Abhishek Banerjee slams BJP's 'Jungle Raj' as rapes persist despite encounters
Synopsis
TMC's Abhishek Banerjee turned a third encounter killing in West Bengal into a political indictment of the BJP government — pointing out that an eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the very same day Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was defending encounter policing. The juxtaposition frames a sharp accountability question: if encounters are the answer, why are the crimes continuing?
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee attacked the BJP -led West Bengal government on 9 November 2026 over persistent sexual violence against minors despite police encounter killings.
The encounter death of Dilip Roy , accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old in Raiganj, North Dinajpur , was the third such killing since July .
On the same day, an eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from a Kali Mandir in Bhatar, East Burdwan and raped.
Banerjee cited more than 2,500 rapes , 600 murders , and over 34,000 grave offences reportedly recorded in recent months.
He demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari , calling the encounter model a failure.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday, 9 November mounted a pointed attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration in West Bengal, arguing that police encounter killings have done nothing to stem the tide of sexual violence against minors in the state. His remarks followed the encounter death of Dilip Roy, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Raiganj, North Dinajpur — the third such encounter killing of an accused in a minor's rape and murder case in the state since July.
The Trigger: Raiganj Encounter and Its Aftermath
The encounter killing of Dilip Roy took place during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defended the action earlier in the day, drawing an immediate response from Banerjee. Even as Adhikari justified the Raiganj encounter, an eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from a Kali Mandir in Bhatar, East Burdwan district and raped on Monday itself — the same day.
Banerjee highlighted the incident in a social media post, framing it as evidence that extrajudicial encounters have failed to deter perpetrators. 'Encounter after encounter, yet rapes continue unabated. This is the grim reality of the BJP's much advertised Jungle Raj model. In yet another horrifying incident, today again an eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from a Kali Mandir in Bhatar, Purba Bardhaman and raped,' he wrote.
Law and Order Statistics Cited
Citing what he described as law and order statistics, Banerjee claimed that more than 2,500 rapes, 600 murders, and over 34,000 grave offences have been recorded in recent months in West Bengal. 'These are not just statistics. They represent shattered lives, broken families and a complete collapse of law and order,' he stated.
The figures were presented by Banerjee without an immediate official source citation; they have not been independently verified.
Accountability Demanded from Chief Minister Adhikari
Banerjee, the nephew of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, directly challenged Suvendu Adhikari to account for the state's deteriorating security record. 'Suvendu Adhikari, who loudly demanded Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the RG Kar tragedy, must now answer for his own failures. Where is his accountability? Where is his much-glorified encounter model when innocent children are being brutalised?' he questioned.
He also alleged that BJP-backed individuals were publicly assaulting police personnel and targeting the residences of elected representatives, claiming criminals appear emboldened under the current administration.
BJP's 'Sonar Bangla' Promise Under Scrutiny
Banerjee concluded with a direct repudiation of the BJP's electoral promise of a 'Sonar Bangla' — a prosperous Bengal. 'The BJP promised Sonar Bangla. What it has delivered is Jungle Raj. Bengal deserves better,' he said, also calling on the Chief Minister to resign on moral grounds. This comes amid a broader political battle between the TMC and the BJP over governance and law and order in West Bengal, a contest that has intensified since the BJP's gains in the state in recent assembly elections.
The BJP-led state administration is yet to issue a formal response to Banerjee's latest broadside. How the ruling party addresses the string of minor rape cases — alongside the optics of its encounter policing strategy — will likely define the next phase of the political confrontation in Bengal.
Point of View
He neutralises a BJP governance narrative on the same day it was being deployed. But the broader picture is more complicated: West Bengal's law and order debate involves contested statistics from both sides, and the TMC's own record in the state before the BJP's rise was not without controversy. The real accountability question is structural — whether any administration, through encounters or otherwise, has a credible deterrence and investigation framework for crimes against children. Using child rape cases as political ammunition, without committing to systemic reform, risks reducing a grave human rights crisis to a partisan scoreboard.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Abhishek Banerjee attacking the BJP government in West Bengal?
Abhishek Banerjee, TMC General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, attacked the BJP-led West Bengal government on 9 November 2026, arguing that encounter killings of accused in minor rape cases have failed to deter sexual violence. He pointed to an alleged rape of an eight-year-old in Bhatar on the same day Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defended the latest encounter, calling it proof of a 'Jungle Raj' under the BJP.
What was the Raiganj encounter and who was killed?
The Raiganj encounter refers to the killing of Dilip Roy, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Raiganj, North Dinajpur, during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. It was the third encounter killing of an accused in a minor's rape and murder case in West Bengal since July 2026.
What law and order statistics did Banerjee cite?
Banerjee claimed that more than 2,500 rapes, 600 murders, and over 34,000 grave offences have been recorded in West Bengal in recent months. These figures were presented without a cited official source and have not been independently verified.
What has Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said about the encounters?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reportedly justified the Raiganj encounter on Monday, 9 November. His administration has not yet issued a formal response to Banerjee's broader allegations about law and order in the state.
What is the political significance of Banerjee's remarks?
The remarks sharpen the ongoing TMC-BJP conflict over governance in West Bengal. By linking encounter policing to continued crimes, the TMC is seeking to undermine a core BJP narrative about strong law enforcement, while the BJP's response will likely shape the next phase of the political battle ahead of future state elections.
