Kolkata rape-murder: Politics takes centre stage as students at RG Kar hospital continue to demand justice

As West Bengal and the entire nation demand justice for the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the CPI(M) and the BJP appear to be building a larger movement against the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. 

Following the incident on August 9, West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has repeatedly called for the resignation of the chief minister, accusing her of failing in her roles as the state’s home and health minister.

He raised the slogan “Dofa Ek, Dabi Ek. Mamatar Padatyag [One Agenda, one demand. Mamata’s resignation]”. The same was echoed by the SFI and DYFI leaders in their rally on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon in the heart of the city.

Interestingly, the slogan is inspired from the recent students’ movement against Bangladesh that saw the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

The TMC believes this is a plot orchestrated by both the BJP and the CPI(M) to overthrow Mamata Banerjee’s elected government.

On Saturday, West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar demanded that Banerjee, in her capacity as the state’s health minister, be interrogated as part of the CBI investigation into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during the tenure of former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh. 

“Not just by the CBI, there should be an ED investigation because it involves money trading. Mamata Banerjee being the health minister cannot stay away from this investigation. She must be interrogated about her role. It must be properly investigated to determine if she also profited from this corruption,” said Majumdar during a press conference. 

These developments come amidst Supreme Court of India’s appeal to not politicise the sensitive issue. 

Meanwhile, the BJP seems to be divided over the August 27 students’ march to Nabanna, the West Bengal state secretariat. While Adhikari, the LoP, expressed his desire on Saturday to attend the march, party chief Majumdar views it as an apolitical event.

During the day, senior officials from the West Bengal government’s health department held discussions with representatives from various doctors’ bodies regarding the ongoing strike by junior doctors at several hospitals. However, the meeting did not yield a resolution, as the doctors insisted on a meeting with health minister Banerjee.

Officials from the health department also met protesting students of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Dr. Kaustav Nayek, Director of Medical Education, Government of West Bengal, visited the institution. 

He held a meeting with the new principal, Dr. Manas Bandyopadhyay, the new medical superintendent cum vice-principal, Dr. Saptarshi Chatterjee, and other senior officials of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and health department. 

Representatives of protesting doctors were also present at the meeting. However, at the end of the meeting, they conveyed they would continue their strike until investigators clarify the intention and motive behind the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor. 

On the other hand, the process to conduct polygraph test of the main accused in the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor, Sanjoy Ray, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Ghosh and five others began on Saturday. 

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