Written by Tanusree BoseKolkata | October 5, 2025 04:27 AM IST 3 min readBJP state president and MP Shamik Bhattacharya called the ranking “a joke of the year” (File Photo)Kolkata has been named the safest city in India for the fourth year running, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) 2023 data, prompting contrasting reactions from the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.The NCRB report shows Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh population in 2023, lowest among the 19 Indian cities with populations above 20 lakh that the bureau surveyed.Among the other large cities, Hyderabad recorded 332.3 offences per lakh, Pune 337.1 and Mumbai 355.4. By contrast, Kochi topped the list of large cities with the highest rate, 3,192.4 cognisable offences per lakh people, followed by Delhi at 2,105.3 and Surat at 1,377.1.NCRB said the average rate of cognisable offences across the 19 cities in 2023 was 828 per lakh. The bureau also noted a decline in Kolkata’s crime rate over the past two years: 86.5 in 2022 and 103.5 in 2021.The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) hailed the NCRB numbers as validation of the state government’s policing and civic policies. TMC MP Saket Gokhale posted on X: “For the 4th year in a row, Kolkata is India’s safest city . This is data from the NCRB under the Union Home Ministry so it’s not us praising ourselves. Congratulations & gratitude also to @KolkataPolice for the incredible work that they do in keeping our city safe & vibrant.”Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim also celebrated the outcome on social media, saying the ranking reflects proactive policing, smart technology and citizen cooperation under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. “Under @MamataOfficial’s leadership & with Kolkata Police’s proactive policing, smart technology, night-policing & citizen cooperation, the proof is in the numbers. BJP-led states might talk, but the people of Kolkata are living the change…” he wrote on X.State education minister Bratya Basu said the report proved “people, especially women, are safe here,” and praised the chief minister’s commitment to law and order.Story continues below this adBut the BJP dismissed the figures, accusing the state police of under-reporting crimes.BJP state president and MP Shamik Bhattacharya called the ranking “a joke of the year,” saying the NCRB relies on data supplied by state authorities and alleging that FIRs are not being registered in Bengal.Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha told The Indian Express the report “does not reflect ground reality.”“Kolkata is the most unsafe city in the country. This report is done according to the cases filed and the FIR recorded by the police but in this state 99 percent of the culprits are from TMC so police do not file cases. RG Kar is the biggest example. In no other state this happens. We are saying this report does not reflect the ground reality of the city people here are denied justice here. The report is prepared by the data filed by the state , if the police do not file cases then how will it be reflected,” Sinha said.Story continues below this adThe NCRB compiles statistics from police records submitted by states and union territories; its figures therefore reflect reported and recorded cognisable offences. Analysts say such data are useful for comparisons and trends but note they depend on uniform reporting and registration practices across jurisdictions.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd