West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee joined the nationwide roar of pride as India’s Women in Blue clinched their first-ever World Cup on November 2, 2025. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team thrashed South Africa by 52 runs at DY Patil Stadium, piling 298-7 with Shafali Verma’s fiery 87 and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance-58 runs and 5-38. Mamata’s X post hailed them as “heroes” whose grit will inspire young girls for generations, promising “bigger victories ahead” amid BCCI’s Rs 51 crore bonus buzz.
The celebration crashed hard when BJP Bengal struck back in minutes. “OMG they played till 12! But you told girls to be home by 8,” they tweeted, slapping Mamata’s joy with her own words from the Durgapur gang-rape case. The late-night final clashed with her October advice to women students, turning cricket glory into political ammo and sparking viral outrage.
The October 10 horror saw a 23-year-old Odisha MBBS student lured by her boyfriend into Durgapur’s forest after 8 p.m. Six men, including the classmate, gang-raped her, stole her phone and Rs 5,000, then vanished. Police nabbed all accused-led by Firdous Sheikh-within days. The survivor’s family branded it a betrayal, exposing deadly gaps in campus safety.
Mamata’s reaction fueled the fire: “How was she out at 12:30 a.m.? Private colleges must stop night culture-it’s a forest, they should protect themselves.” Critics screamed victim-blaming; she later said her words were “twisted” to target institutions, not the survivor.
BJP went for the kill. Gaurav Bhatia demanded her resignation, calling her “heartless.” Shehzad Poonawalla listed RG Kar, Sandeshkhali, Park Street: “Always blames the beti, shields the balatkari.” As cricket cheers faded, Bengal’s toxic politics roared back-women’s wins on field, crushed by safety battles off it.