New Delhi, Apr 28 (IANS): Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee, the BJP on Thursday expressed concern over the safety of women and girls in West Bengal saying what hope do they have when the chief minister herself is "protecting rapists and murderers".

State BJP co-incharge Amit Malviya said that after assassinating the character of the Hanskhali minor victim, Banerjee is now calling it a "suicide".

"After character assassinating the Hanskhali minor, Mamata Banerjee has now called it a "suicide", completely denying that she was brutally raped, before being murdered. What hope do women and minor girls have in Bengal, when the CM herself starts protecting rapists and murderers," Malviya tweeted.

On April 21, a five-member fact finding committee formed by party chief J.P. Nadda to ascertain details of rape and murder of a minor girl in Hanskhali, recommended imposition of Article 355 and 356 in West Bengal citing deteriorating law and order situation.

"Chief minister Banerjee is trying to cover up the incident. Administration and TMC goons destroyed all the evidence. Neither the post-mortem was allowed nor the death certificate was issued," the committee noted.

The committee also recommended that the trial of this case be held in some other state to ensure that the victim's family gets justice.

Controversy over the rape of a minor girl, who died later, at Hanskhali in Nadia district of West Bengal took a more debatable turn after Chief Minister Banerjee gave a love-angle twist to it.