The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a jibe at West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over her protest rally on trainee doctor’s rape and murder case, and asked that against whom the chief minister is protesting as she herself is the state chief minister, home minister and health minister.
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Union minister and West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar slammed the TMC supremo and said, “She (Mamata Banerjee) herself is the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Health Minister, then against whom was she protesting by taking out a rally?”
#WATCH | Kolkata: On the rally taken out by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier today, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar says, “…She (Mamata Banerjee) herself is the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Health Minister, then against whom was she protesting by taking out… pic.twitter.com/zGdw9bI8km— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024
He further said that Banerjee’s government is “doing politics” over the horrendous crime instead of facilitating a fair investigation and ensuring exemplary punishment for the culprits. He also accused the TMC of trying to stop the BJP for seeking justice.
“She is trying to stop the BJP, we assure her that this movement will not stop, and we will continue our protest,” he added.
BJP Women Wing’s National Vice President Pooja Kapil Mishra also hit out at the chief minister. Dubbing Banerjee as “drama queen”, Mishra said that Banerjee has buried the law in a ditch and left it.
“What an irony that the CM of the state where this incident took place is a woman who is coming out on the road after so many days… I would like to call Mamata Banerjee a drama queen… Women are being tortured in West Bengal, incidents like rape keep happening… After having a woman CM for three consecutive terms in the state, this is the height of her insensitivity… She has buried the law in a ditch and left it,” she said.
#WATCH | Kolkata | On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s rally against the RG Kar rape-murder case, BJP Mahila Morcha’s National Vice President Pooja Kapil Mishra says, “What an irony that the CM of the state where this incident took place is a woman who is coming out on the road… pic.twitter.com/AWf5iVAVIK— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also jibed at the TMC leader and said, “Home Minister Mamata protesting against Health Minister Mamata demanding CM Mamata acts on Health Minister Mamata even as Home Minister Mamata fails in her duty”.
Mamata Banerjee leads protest rally
The chief minister led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina crossing in Kolkata on Friday demanding justice for trainee doctor, a second year PG student at RG Kar Medical College, who was brutally raped in the seminar room of the medical facility in the midnight of August 9.
‘We want capital punishment for the culprits,We want the culprits to be hanged,The CBI has to provide justice by Sunday.’– Smt. @MamataOfficialWe demand death penalty for the culprits of the R.G Kar incident! pic.twitter.com/eGoDfbb6kq
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 16, 2024
TMC’s clarification over CM’s rally
Justifying CM Banerjee’s move amid criticism from the Opposition, TMC MP and spokesperson Derek O’Brien took to X on Friday morning. He began his explanation by writing, It is hard to conceive of a more bestial, heinous crime than the murder and rape of a young woman that took place in Kolkata. The public outrage is entirely understandable. Thoughts and prayers with her family.”
He said it was fair to ask why Mamata Banerjee was leading the protest. He explained what the ruling party sought and said, “CBI, which is now handling the case, must give daily updates on the investigation. The deadline given by the CM to Kolkata Police to complete the investigation was August 17. The same must apply to CBI. Kolkata Police has arrested one accused. Justice will happen only when CBI nabs ALL involved and sends case to a fast-track court.”
“CBI taking over the case shouldn’t lead to it being quietly buried. The urgent need of the hour is swift justice and the harshest punishment for the culprits. No one who committed this barbaric act must be spared,” he added.
After five days of the gruesome incident, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of probe from the Kolkata Police to CBI.
Banerjee had earlier welcomed the order to hand over the probe to CBI and urged the agency to close the case as soon as possible. Banerjee had further demanded capital punishment for the culprit and ensured justice for the family of the victim.
She had slammed the CPI(M) and the BJP for attempting to politicise the incident. She also accused the opposition BJP and CPI of being behind the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and attempting to obscure the truth.
“We want the truth to come out, but some quarters are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished,” she said while addressing a rally.
“A coordinated approach has been executed by the BJP and CPI(M), with support from the Centre, to defame Bengal and exploit the situation. They are taking cues from student unrest in Bangladesh (where the Awami League was ousted), and are attempting to capture power similarly. But they won’t succeed,” she had said.
Nationwide protests
The horrific incident has shaken the country with nationwide protests going on demanding the prompt action in the investigation. Junior doctors and medical students across the hospitals and medical colleges in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other cities staged a protest demanding speedy justice.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike. IMA has declared a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all the modern medicine doctors of the country irrespective of the sector and place of work. Emergencies and casualties will function. No OPDs. No elective surgeries. The withdrawal commenced at 6 am on Saturday and will end at 6 am on Sunday 18th August 2024.
(With inputs from agencies)
