Facing heat over doctor’s rape & murder, Mamata turns protester
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 16
In a strange turn of events, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took to streets to stage a protest against the recent incident of rape and murder of a young woman doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She has been facing severe criticism following the incident and massive protests have erupted across the country.
“I salute the protest by the public. They did the right thing,” the Chief Minister said, blaming the BJP and CPM for the vandalism on the RG Kar Hospital premises during the intervening night of August 14 and 15, when the programme “Reclaim the Night” was underway in the city.
Covering a distance of 1.6 km, the protest march, led by Banerjee, was taken out from Kolkata’s Moulali Crossing to Dorina Crossing. In her address, Mamata said the CBI — which was entrusted with the probe into the rape-murder case by the High Court — must complete its investigation by Sunday.
The TMC supremo also highlighted various welfare schemes that have been launched by the TMC government for women’s welfare. She claimed that the BJP was especially jealous of the government’s “Lakhshmir Bhandar”, a cash transfer scheme that has been a ‘hit’ among the womenfolk.
While much is said about the support enjoyed by Mamata Banerjee among Muslims, the backing Banerjee receives from women voters also plays an equally important role in her electoral success. The rape and murder incident is threatening to alienate her women voters as the “Reclaim the Night” campaign drew massive response from women. Even on Friday, multiple protests were held against the state government.
Meanwhile, the TMC sacked Santanu Sen as its spokesperson, after he criticised the college principal and the Health Department.
