Jaipur, Aug 17 (IANS): BJP's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Friday questioned the 'silence' of the INDIA bloc members, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP office here, Bhatia also termed Mamata Banerjee a "ruthless" leader, claiming that law and order has collapsed in West Bengal.

"Mamata Banerjee, who has failed to ensure women's safety, should resign. The BJP will not tolerate the injustice being meted out to our sisters. Now that the CBI has taken over the probe, the guilty should get the harshest punishment at the earliest. No criminal should be spared, no matter how big a leader is protecting him," the BJP leader said.

Stating that the heinous crime has shaken the country to its core, Bhatia said, "Trinamool goons are trying to destroy evidence by attacking those protesting peacefully seeking justice. They also tried to destroy evidence in the crime scene. The 'goonda raj' is at its peak in Bengal where law and order has collapsed completely. Mamata Banerjee is crushing freedom of expression in Bengal," said Bhatia.

"Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and other leaders of the INDIA bloc were seen roaming around with a copy of Constitution in their hands. But by remaining silent on the Kolkata issue, they are killing the soul of the same Constitution," the BJP leader said.

Bhatia also said that the opposition leaders should rise above vote-bank politics and speak against such heinous crimes.

Demanding the resignation of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Bhatia said, "If Mamata Banerjee is unable to handle the state, she should resign. Her cruelty can be gauged from the fact that the victim's family members were not even allowed to see her body for hours. Also, an attempt was made to term the incident as suicide."