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BJP accuses Bengal govt of safeguarding perpetrators in Kolkata rape-murder case
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the country is devastated and disgusted by the atrocity in West Bengal and held the state government responsible for the incident
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the West Bengal government of trying to safeguard the perpetrators in the Kolkata trainee doctor’s alleged rape and murder case.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said “the country is devastated and disgusted by the atrocity in West Bengal” and held the state government responsible for “the incident itself, safeguarding the incident, destruction of evidence, hooliganism, and threat statement’”.
“While the TMC is heartlessly safeguarding the perpetrators, the INDIA alliance’s character is also clear,” he said, referring to Kapil Sibal, member of Parliament representing the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh who happens to be the lawyer of the TMC. “(SP leader) Akhilesh Yadav, (Congress leaders) Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi—how can you stand by a lawyer who is defending such heinous acts? This shows the kind of sensitivity you have,” he said.
The 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and her body was found hours later. The incident prompted sweeping protests, mostly by doctors, in the city and across the nation. The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the case on the directions of the Calcutta high court.
“The victim used to journal and share these diary notes with her father. However multiple pages from the diary, including those from the day of the incident are missing,” Trivedi said.
“The principal along with over 40 other doctors was immediately transferred to another college hospital, the FIR was filed many hours after the incident, the body was cremated before time, even the director wasn’t consulted, and more importantly, interrogation is being conducted over the people raising these questions,” he said referring to Sagnik Laha and Kirti Sharma, who were arrested by the Kolkata Police for offensive posts about Mamata Banerjee.
He also accused the TMC of allegedly dismissing Santanu Sen, spokesperson of the TMC, from his position, after he commented against the college, and putting their own MP, Sukhendu Sekhar under interrogation after he raised questions about the incident.
“I urge people to think about why their politicians are passing remarks against them when TMC minister Udayan Guha says ‘fingers raised against Mamata Banerjee will be broken’”, he said.
“I, with a lot of disappointment and seriousness, urge the people of India, to think how much our Constitution is in danger in West Bengal,” he added.
Slamming the INDIA bloc, he further said, “Whatever is happening from Kannauj to Kolkata. It would be a scary sight in case they (the INDIA) had a government at the Centre”.
There was no immediate reaction from the TMC to Trivedi’s charges.
On Monday, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said: “Mamata Banerjee’s resignation is being sought by those who have time and again failed to win elections and gain control through democratic means. The BJP-Left alliance is now dreaming of coming to power by raising strange demands.”
Reports indicate the victim suffered severe injuries, including broken limbs and gouged eyes. Initial police statements suggested the woman had died by suicide; however, reports later revealed evidence of sexual assault, including the presence of 150 mg of semen.
The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13. The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to file a status report by August 22.
