Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in light of the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the deteriorating law and order situation.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla demanded that CM Mamata Banerjee should resign as he accused her of saving the perpetrators of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on August 9. Addressing a press conference, Poonawalla took a dig at the I.N.D.I.A bloc for their silence on this issue.
The BJP leader alleged there was no rule of law West Bengal and charged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was more interested in saving the perpetrators of the crime, not in saving the victim, as the accused were linked to the TMC as in this case.
"It is very evident that there were more than one rapists. They have caught one Sanjoy Roy, who by the way was working in the police welfare board despite having complaints against him of beating his pregnant wife and stalking. This is the state of police under Mamata Banerjee," Poonawalla alleged.
"Therefore, Mamata Banerjee, you must immediately resign," Poonawalla said. He accused the opposition of being part of "a conspiracy of selective silence and selective outrage."
"You pick up a case, you see the colour of the victim, political colour of the accused, you see the other antecedents of the accused, the state where the incident happens and then you react. This is their commitment to women’s issues. There is a secular silence. Nobody will seek the resignation of Mamata Banerjee," the BJP spokesperson said.
BJP slams INDIA bloc's selective silence
The party's national spokesperson, Shazia Ilmi, said the competent authorities should decide on imposing the President's rule in West Bengal. "Women's safety is under threat, and the law and order situation in West Bengal has deteriorated. The competent authorities should decide on imposing the President's rule in the state," she said.
On the demand by doctors for the implementation of the Central Protection Act for Doctors, Ilmi said if there is such a bill, then it must become a law. The Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022, also known as the Central Protection Act for Doctors, was introduced in the lower house of Parliament in 2022, but it has not been enacted.
24-hour nationwide strike
Doctors across the country are demanding its enactment and implementation. Resident doctors have launched an indefinite strike to express solidarity with the nationwide agitation against the rape-murder of a post-graduate trainee in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal condemning the alleged rape and murder.
‘Why late reaction on Kolkata murder-rape case’, BJP questions INDIA bloc
The BJP questioned the INDIA bloc over the West Bengal female doctor’s murder-rape case, saying that they either have given late reactions or kept mum over the incident. BJP National Spokesperson Ajay Alok took a dig at several prominent opposition figures, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, referring to her as “Krurta Benerjee” instead of Mamata Banerjee.
He also criticised Tejashwi Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav, accusing them of "inaction" and "silence" in the wake of the crime.
“Rahul Gandhi only spoke out on this incident after four days, Priyanka Gandhi remained silent while Akhilesh Yadav’s mouth was paralyzed,” Alok said. He labelled the INDIA bloc as the “Ghamandiya block”, implying that their “arrogance” is preventing them from addressing a serious issue.
Alok also highlighted that significant action in the case only began after it was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He also mentioned that on August 14, a mob of 5,000 people attacked a medical college, further exposing the law and order situation in West Bengal.
“The West Bengal state government prioritises the protection of only one religious group, and that is Rohingya Muslims. I demand that Mamata Banerjee resign in the wake of the incident. The Union government will protect doctors nationwide and a new law should be implemented to ensure their safety,” Alok said.
Alok also criticised Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders and Tejashwi Yadav for remaining silent over the incident. He argued that Yadav and his party have no credibility to speak on law and order issues in Bihar, claiming that Tejashwi Yadav was raised in an environment characterised by crime, kidnapping, and murders.
(With agencies inputs)
