Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of using subtle threats against doctors protesting the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Banerjee of employing “word play” to intimidate the medical community.
“After misleading the investigation, destroying evidence, and shielding the accused, a new strategy to threaten doctors has emerged. Heed the Chief Minister’s words—she claims she doesn’t want to register FIRs against doctors to avoid ruining their careers. This is a veiled threat,” Trivedi stated during a media briefing.
Trivedi also echoed the sentiments of West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who recently remarked that “there is no democracy in Bengal.” Trivedi questioned Banerjee’s integrity, recalling her past activism against rape and state violence during the Communist regime. “Mamata ji, are you the same person who once fought bravely against atrocities? Has your empathy died?” he asked, suggesting that the state government is attempting to shield those responsible for the crime.
Broadening his attack, Trivedi targeted the INDIA Opposition alliance, pointing out that Trinamool Congress’s lawyer, Kapil Sibal, is a Rajya Sabha MP supported by the Samajwadi Party and a former Congress minister. “Everyone in the INDI alliance is involved in this cover-up,” he claimed.
In response to the Trinamool Congress’s allegation that the BJP’s protests in Kolkata were intended to incite unrest, Trivedi countered, “Poll violence has ceased in most states, but it continues unabated in West Bengal.”
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of calling a bandh in Bengal to create chaos and gain political mileage. “The BJP wants dead bodies, not justice. We want justice and death by hanging for the accused. The BJP has strayed from seeking justice for the victim and is now focused on defaming Bengal. Their behavior is shameless and conspiratorial,” Banerjee asserted.
The brutal rape and murder of the young doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata has sent shockwaves across the country and posed a significant political challenge for the Trinamool Congress. The ruling party in Bengal has faced criticism not only from the BJP and the Left but also from its ally, the Congress. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, commented on the incident, stating that “the attempt to protect the accused instead of ensuring justice for the victim raises serious concerns about the hospital and local administration.”
In a sharp retort, Banerjee questioned the Congress’s handling of similar crimes in states governed by them. “I want to ask Congress—how many incidents have occurred in your states, and what actions have you taken? During CPIM rule, there were countless heinous crimes, and the government remained silent. There was no social media back then, so people were less aware,” Banerjee stated, defending her government’s record.
