Kolkata rape-murder case: CM Mamata Banerjee faces resignation calls; TMC slams ‘patriarchal’ demand

As days pass, calls for the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of the East Indian state of West Bengal, over the rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have been growing.

Mamata’s party, Trinamool Congress, has termed these demands from protesters and the opposition as ‘patriarchal,’ arguing that no male chief minister faces resignation calls and scrutiny when such crimes occur in their states.

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“There have been so many incidents in so many places. Why is there a demand for the resignation of the only woman Chief Minister of the country, who has won three successive elections? There are no demands for the resignation of any male Chief Minister for incidents in other places. That is how patriarchy is,” West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Chandrima Bhattacharya also labelled an upcoming protest march announced by the students’ organisation as a plot to cause more chaos.

“There is a BJP-ABVP plot to create disturbance. There is a plot to open fire by criminals in police uniforms. Tomorrow there are exams. Can students do this? They are doing vulture politics,” Bhattacharya said.

“No permission has been sought from the police for such a protest. Protests can take place, but they must seek permission and be held peacefully at designated places,” she added.

Protests and marches have been taking place in Kolkata and other regions of the country since the doctor was raped and killed inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, with her body found in the seminar hall of the institute.

Protesters are demanding stringent action against the suspects involved and improved safety measures for women. The incident has also highlighted the ‘inhumane’ 36-hour shifts that, as the Supreme Court called it, doctors in India endure. The CBI is probing the incident and has conducted polygraph tests on the main accused and six others. CBI also registered a case of alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College on Saturday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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